Megaforce: The Legendary Battle
by Lily Hanson
Summary: <html><head></head>Mavro started to squeeze Gia, crushing her in his grip and then threw her to the ground. Gia let out a cry of pain while her twelve allies rose to their feet and with their weapons they started to strike or shoot at Mavro. "We've got to help them," Jason announced to the rest as he pulled himself up. "Zordon, Gosei, all our mentors, they gave us these powers for a reason!"</html>
1. Tricky Feelings

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made._

_Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:_

_**No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - **__**Prom Night**__ - __**A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night – Emma's Mother – Bait And Switch – After Death – A Stormy Day – A Date For Tensou – A Mother's Advice – Mending Fences – Executioner Named Revenge –Those Three Words – On The Fourth Day – Babysitting – Tiger- A Fresh Start – On the Mountains – Looking Ahead – The Rangers' Recovery – Daughter's Nightmare – Megaforce: With Great Power –Cookies – The Babysitters: Jake and Gia – Better Off With The Burrows**_ – _**A Hard Journey – The Messenger – Megaforce: The Invasion Arrives – Learning To See – Sight Unseen – A Romantic Demise – To Love And To Lose – Distance Travelled – A Love Triangle – (Grr Grr Tiger)**_

Jake watched them spar, but it didn't look like they were getting much training done. On the deck, Gia and Orion were getting pretty hands on with each other, often grabbing, lifting, touching, or playfully shoving the other whenever the chance arose. Orion even had the guts to peck Gia on the cheek, the neck and the shoulder when she got close and Gia didn't seem to mind. In fact, she seemed to enjoy being close to Orion and having him all over her.

Jake clenched his fists but he wasn't mad at them. He couldn't be mad at them. As far as they were both concerned, this was what he wanted. He had make it very clear he was perfectly fine with the two of them dating. He had told Gia, and even looked her in the eyes when he said it, that she had his blessing to date Orion.

He had given up without realizing what it was he had lost. Gia was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Sure, she had her problems. Jake had to fight hard just to win her over. He hadn't been the alpha male in school, but he had been a jock and could have had several girlfriends in the time it took him to win Gia over. She also left him feeling frustrated many times. After suffering all the abuse at Cliff's hands, Gia's initial idea of romance was a hug. Obviously Jake wanted a lot more from her but she was worth the wait. Eventually, he showed her he could be trusted and that she was safe with him.

She made his fighting, his frustration, everything worth it. The fact that Gia, the most amazing girl he had ever known, chose to love and trust him over everyone else made him feel special. Even on their worst days, Jake always felt like he was on top of the world because he had the love of Gia Moran.

But without even bothering to put up a fight, he had thrown that love away. Probably even stomped on it, given how quickly Gia had turned away from him. He still loved her and missed her dearly and had no one to blame for the break up but him.

He sighed loudly as he watched them cuddle fight. At least they were happy. At least Gia was happy. Right now, that was the only comfort he got.

"Why the long face?" Rebecca asked as she sat down next to him at the table. Jake shrugged his shoulders.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know what my face looks like?"

"Dolphin senses," Rebecca chuckled. "Your posture looks like you're slouching. You never really sat up straight, but you look really down."

"I've got to try those dolphin senses one day."

"Don't change the subject," Rebecca shook her head. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Jake said. "I'm fine."

"Jake..."

"I said I'm fine."

"Does it have anything to do with them?" Rebecca asked and pointed in Gia and Orion's direction. "Now, my dolphin senses may be good, but if I didn't know any better, I wouldn't be able to tell if they were fighting or having sex."

"Orion's a good guy," Jake said. "As long as he takes care of Gia, that's all I can ask for."

"I'm sure he will," Rebecca nodded. "Gia really seems to trust him, and we all know how important that is for her. Still, must be hard watching your ex move on."

Jake sighed loudly and rubbed his face in his hands, "Rebecca, can we please... We don't need to talk about this."

"It might be a little hard during the war, but afterwards we can probably hook you up with someone," Rebecca suggested to Jake. "We can find you someone a little less complicated..."

"I don't want someone easy," Jake shook his head.

"Someone a little less... punchy?"

"I don't want a princess."

"Someone brunette?"

"I don't want to date, Rebecca," Jake frowned at her.

"Maybe not now, but..."

"Gia was the girl for me," Jake said. "She's the one and she's the only one. No one compares. No one is going to be able to fill her shoes. It's her and only her."

"We all say that after a break up," Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not, even after Alex dumped me and my baby, I still wanted him..."

"This isn't just an after break up feeling," Jake sighed. "She was it, Rebecca. I don't want anyone else."

"Do you want her back?" Rebecca asked. There was a silence. She heard Jake exhale.

"I want her to be happy."

"Do you want her back?" Rebecca asked again.

"If Orion's the guy she wants..."

"Do _you_ want her back?"

Jake sighed loudly, turned to his step sister and nodded his head, "I'd do anything."

"Then why did you give her up?"

"If you had seen the way she looked at me, you'd have understood," Jake said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I turned into the only thing she didn't want me becoming. I don't want to be her next nightmare."

"Isn't that for her to decide?" Rebecca asked Jake with a little tilt of the head. "I mean, if you like her, shouldn't you say something?"

"Look at her, Rebecca," Jake said and pointed to where the two were still training. "She's with Orion now. She's happy. He can take care of her. He can be the perfect guy. As long as she's happy..."

"I never took you for a quitter, Holling," Rebecca shook her head. "But if this is really what you think you want, I hope you're happy with it."

"They're kissing, Rebecca," Jake sighed. "He's got his hands all over her and she doesn't mind it. She's happy. I'm not going to ruin that."

"Okay," Rebecca said as she got up and walked off. Jake sighed again as she left, propped his head up with his hands and continued to watch the yellow and silver Ranger spar. It was then that Tiger approached him, dragging her bottle by the nipple. It seemed she was hungry and with Gia busy training it was up to Jake to feed her.

"Aren't you getting a little big for formula?" he asked her but Tiger put the bottle down at his feet. Jake sighed, picked up her bottle and then started to walk to the kitchen. Gia had planned to feed her venison for dinner so he would put that in her bowl for her. Tiger excitedly followed the green Ranger, occasionally rubbing up against his legs until they were in the kitchen.

On the other side of the deck, Gia watched Jake head off to prepare dinner for her cub and lowered her hands. Orion noticed just in the nick of time and pulled back on his attack, stopping his punch just inches from Gia's head. He frowned when he looked at her but then noticed she was looking to Jake.

"What's up?" he asked her as he realized training was over. Gia shrugged and walked to the bench to grab her bottle.

"It's dinner," she took a sip of water. Orion looked curious.

"We ate."

"Tiger's dinner. She just asked Jake to eat."

"So?" Orion asked but then noticed the way Gia was staring at her bottle. He knew that look and sighed, "You miss him?"

"He gave up," Gia said. "I'm not worth it anymore..."

"It's his loss," Orion put his arm around her and kissed her cheek.

"I can't just turn my feelings off," Gia muttered. She sat down on the bench. "You probably didn't have break ups on Andrasia, did you?"

"We had falling outs," Orion told her. "Those were tough. Is it anything like that?"

"Yeah, actually," Gia nodded. "Just because someone you love and care about hurts you, doesn't mean you stop loving or caring for them. You know?"

"What does that mean for us?" Orion asked her. "I think what we're doing is kind of complicated but..."

Orion sat down next to Gia and took her hand comfortingly. He smiled, "I want you happy. I want us to be good friends. I like what we have but if Jake's the guy for you, I'll step back you know."

"I know, and you've been amazing, Orion..."

"Hey, it's not like I've done it for nothing," Orion shrugged his shoulders. "I really appreciate you letting me be... me. I've missed true Andrasian friendships. It's probably the hardest part about living on Earth."

"I don't know what to do anymore," Gia said. She turned to Orion. "I like you. I really, really like you. But..."

"You're still hung up on Jake?"

"He was special," Gia nodded. "I know all this kissing and cuddling and stuff is normal for you, but it's really intimate for me."

"That's why I'm really appreciative you're letting me do this."

"It's just... it feels wrong that it's not with Jake," Gia looked up at Orion. "Is there any way you understand that?"

"I do."

"But he doesn't want me," Gia shook her head. "And I don't want to pine over some guy I've got no shot with. Especially when there's this really amazing guy waiting for me."

Gia turned to face Orion and looked him in the eyes. "I don't want you to feel like you're the second choice. I don't want you think I'm settling for you just because Jake doesn't want me. Orion, I..."

"We're just friends, Gia," Orion smiled at her. "We have an Andrasian friendship, that's how I see this. Whether it evolves into something more will be determined later."

"Later?"

"I don't want kids yet," Orion said and Gia choked on her water. Orion lightly pat her back as she tried to catch her breath.

"Kids?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Orion nodded. "It's just... I mean, we don't date on Andrasia so if you and I were to take it a step further on my planet, we would decide to have a baby or two together."

Gia continued to stare at Orion like a deer in the headlights. He chuckled as he realized just how much his comment had freaked her out. He put his arms around her.

"Relax. I understand you have different... parameters. I'm willing to respect that. I'm just letting you know, if you do want Jake, you don't need to sacrifice our friendship. I won't be hurt."

"This is where I'm confused though. I want a guy who doesn't want me back and while I pine over him, I'm letting someone as amazing as you get away from me. I feel like I'm using you."

"Gia, you're not using me," Orion shook his head. "What you consider dating to me is typical friendship. I've kissed and cuddled other men and women the same way I have you and there's been nothing romantic about it. You can let your heart heal, and take as long as you need. If, one day, you set your sights on me, I'll be right here."

"I'm stringing you along?"

"I enjoy this friendship for what it is," Orion nodded. "If down the road, you feel I'm worthy of having a child with, I'm more than happy to take that step. If not, we just continue doing what we're doing."

"Hypothetical question."

"Go for it."

"If Jake and I got back together, we couldn't do this cuddling stuff. I understand on Andrasia it doesn't mean anything more than friendship but Jake... might not. Orion, I don't want you losing that affection. You need it and..."

"Hypothetically, if you and Jake did get back together, I'm sure we could figure out a compromise," Orion said. "I guess, if I'm going to live on Earth, I'll have to learn to live like Earthlings."

"You deserve better," Gia looked in his eyes with a faint smile.

"Don't worry about me," he said. "It's enough to know there's at least one person on this planet who cares about me."

"There's bound to be more than one person," Gia chuckled. "I know the others care about you. It's just not shown Andrasian style. Earth style is a little more, held back."

"Unfortunately."

"But hey, if you ever do decide to date, I'll give you a few pointers on how to pick up a girl the right way," Gia smiled. "Then you'll have someone else out there who will show affection Andrasian style. She just might, you know, expect marriage before a baby."

"Like what Emma and Jordan are doing?"

"Well, they're only engaged right now. They'll be married after they have a wedding."

"A wedding?"

"It's a ceremony where they get all gushy about each other and make promises to stay together forever," Gia nodded. "You're only supposed to have one, but some people have two, three, four..."

"Sounds like a huge commitment."

"We take this romance stuff very seriously," Gia said. "That's why this is complicated."

"It's not complicated for me," Orion said. He kissed her cheek. "You take care of yourself. As long as we're friends, I'm happy with whatever you choose."

"I just... I wish Jake wanted me," Gia sighed. She looked down at her bottle. "That's the part that hurts the most. He doesn't want me anymore."

As Gia said that, their morphers went off. She groaned and Orion chuckled. It was the worst timing for an attack in the city, but at the same time, at least it would be something to take her mind off her more than complicated dating life.

"Looks like we've got trouble."

"Dishes say it's one of Vekar's," Orion bet her.

"I hope it's Vrak," Gia smirked. "I can't wait to see the look on his stupid face when we tell him Cliff's no more."


	2. The Screwed Up Plan

The Armada had picked a good alien this time. Jake found himself hitting the ground and rolling to avoid another hit as he and his teammates tried their best to stop this monster.

Skeltox, the monster, didn't look all that powerful. All that seemed threatening about him was the fish shaped hand. The rest of his body was green and didn't look very intimidating. Skeltox didn't look tough, but he was fast, agile and strong. Jake had tried taking him down with his Snake Axe, he had tried taking him down with his sabre, and he had already used three Legendary modes but to no avail. This alien was just too slippery.

Not to mention, they still had no idea what the fish hand was used for. Jake was certain it gave the monster a special power, but without knowing what it was, he had no idea how to stop it.

His friends were doing their best, but like with him, nothing seemed to be working. Skeltox always seemed to be just one step ahead of them. Jake watched nervously as Gia tried to go in, hoping for the upper hand, but was struck down and landed flat on her back just next to him. Somewhat hesitantly, Jake offered his hand to help her up. Gia seemed to look at it for a moment before she took it. He pulled her up to her feet.

"He's tough."

"What we're doing isn't working," Gia agreed. "He seems to be having a blast."

"We don't even know what he does yet," Jake pointed out. He was sure Gia had already figured that out, but it needed to be said out loud. "We've got to stop him before something happens. It's sure as hell easier to beat these guys when the whole team is on their feet."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Gia nodded. The rest of the Rangers took their beating from Skeltox before they gathered around the yellow and green Rangers. Troy had managed to strike the alien once, giving them all a minute to catch their breath and figure out a new plan.

"We need to catch him off guard," Troy suggested. "He's anticipating everything we're doing. If we take him by surprise, we might be able to flip this back in our favour."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Noah asked. "He seems to know what we're doing to do before we do it!"

"Gia and I have been working on something," Orion said to his teammates and Gia nodded her head to confirm. Jake rolled his eyes behind his helmet and muttered softly under his breath.

"Of course you have."

"It's guaranteed to surprise him," Orion continued to his teammates. "It's got to work."

"It's worth a shot," Gia nodded. "Just make sure you do this right."

"I got you," Orion told her as he touched her arm and Jake could just tell there was a goofy, playful, stupid grin on his face. He couldn't see it, but he knew it was there. It had to be.

However, he couldn't complain. He had given up. Gia was happier with Orion. Jake had missed his chance and he had no one to blame but himself.

"Alright, guys, let's do this," Gia said to her teammates just as Skeltox was getting back into the fight. He lunged at the Rangers and while the four of them kept his busy, Jake saw Gia and Orion slip away. He had no idea what they had planned, but they had been training together a lot. He just hoped everything worked out.

Suddenly, he saw Gia running away from the battle field. He still had no idea what she and Orion were up to but this seemed kind of odd. Jake hoped everything was still going according to plan as he was again knocked to the ground.

"Aha! Yes! We've got it!" Orion started to shout out from behind the monster. Skeltox, who was holding Emma by the throat, turned his attention to the silver Ranger. Orion was jumping up and down, waving his hands in the air like he was celebrating something. "Yes! Go Gia! You've got it!"

"What are you cheering for?" Skeltox tossed Emma aside, taking out Noah as he did and turned to Orion. He started to approach but Orion shook his head.

"It's too late," he smirked. "We've already gotten it. Our yellow Ranger's taken off with it already."

"It? What's it?" Skeltox asked and glanced over his shoulder. Gia hadn't gotten too far yet and he could still see her running off down the street. Orion smirked as he taunted the monster.

"You'll never catch her. You're done!"

"You Rangers have no idea how wrong you are!" Skeltox said. He kicked Troy in the chest and then started to take off after Gia, leaving all the other Rangers behind to lick their wounds.

Jake's eyes widened. He had no idea what the plan was still, but he knew one thing: Gia alone with a monster never ended well for her. What had Orion convinced her to do?

"Gia!" he called out, jumped to his feet and started to run. Gia must have heard his cry because she stopped running and turned around to face him. At that very moment, the monster caught up to her. Jake didn't see what had happened next because out of nowhere someone tackled him from behind and he found himself on the ground again.

"What the..." he rubbed his head as he got up on his knees. He looked down at the person tangled up with him and saw the gold Samurai Ranger. He quickly realized who it was and frowned, "Orion?"

"Jake, what the hell? We had a plan."

"You tackled me!"

"I didn't tackle you! I was going after the big fish!" Orion powered down into his silver Megaforce suit and looked up at the green Ranger. Suddenly, they both heard a scream. They glanced down the street, saw Gia powered down and lying on the road while the others ran towards her.

"There's nothing here!" Skeltox shouted and kicked Gia aside. She did nothing to protect herself or fight back. In fact, from where the boys were sitting, she already looked dead. Jake and Orion saw Troy, Noah, and Emma throw themselves at the monster, but he was so enraged after attacking Gia that they dropped quickly.

It was then the two Rangers got to see what the monster could really do. A beam of energy came out of his fish shaped hand and pulled out a green light from each of the Rangers. As soon as it did that, they all dropped to the ground, lifeless, leaving only Jake and Orion standing a little ways off.

"Nobody fools Skeltox! Nobody!" he shouted. Then it was as if he had forgotten there were two more Rangers. Still angry, he stomped off. When Jake and Orion were sure he was gone they jumped to their feet and raced down the street to join their friends.

Well, one friend.

"Gia!" they both cried and fell on top of each other as they tried to get to her side. Jake pushed Orion off.

"Dude, get off me! This is your fault!"

"We had a plan, Jake!" Orion shook his head and shoved Jake out of the way. He was much stronger so he easily won this one. Jake stumbled back and was forced to watch over Orion's shoulder as the silver Ranger checked up on the yellow Ranger.

"She's still got a pulse. She's breathing. She's just not waking up," Orion shook his head. Jake finally pushed him aside and knelt next to the yellow Ranger.

"I can do this. You screwed up already."

"I screwed up?"

"Look at what happened! Orion, she's hurt!"

"You interfered," Orion said. "Gia was drawing attention to herself. While that fish freak was distracted with going after her..."

"No one should be going after Gia!" Jake shouted. "She's had enough of that! You've got to keep her safe! You're... What the hell were you thinking?"

"Jake..."

"No, I don't even want to talk to you right now," Jake shook his head. "Gia trusted you and look what you did!"

He scooped the yellow Ranger up in his arms and teleported back to the ship. Orion sighed loudly and turned to the rest of his teammates. They too had been hurt in the fight and needed to be taken back. However, Orion had his doubts Jake would be back to help.

"This isn't going to be easy," he muttered.


	3. A Fight For Gia

"They're very much alive," Tensou assured Jake, Orion, and Rebecca after he checked up on the four unconscious Rangers. "So far, everything seems normal. They just seem to be in a deep, deep sleep."

"So bacon won't wake them?" Rebecca asked.

"Nothing will," Tensou shook his head. "I've tried everything. Tapping their cheeks, calling their names, tempting them with their favourite foods or activities. We can't wake them naturally."

"They'll probably only wake up once we beat that alien," Jake scoffed and glanced to Orion. "I guess I'm on my own for this one."

"Jake..."

"Look where your stupid plan got us," Jake pointed to Gia's cot, which Tensou had set up in his work room so he could keep his eyes on the Rangers. After working with the Rangers and against the Armada and Vrak for so long, he doubted the worst he could expect was sleeping Rangers and wanted to know as soon as possible once things started to turn.

"You interfered in my plan," Orion said in his own defence. Jake scoffed.

"You let a monster go after Gia! I was protecting her!"

"Have you ever thought maybe you protect her too much?" Orion frowned. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Gia's not vulnerable..."

"You spend all this time around her and you still don't know her at all..."

"She's not!" Orion shook his head. "She's strong, Jake!"

Jake groaned, rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air, "I know she's strong but... Orion, you've just... you've got to keep her safe. She's got a lot on her plate, she's still pretty fragile and..."

"What are you talking about?" Orion frowned deeply and tilted his head. "Are we talking about the same Gia?"

"I think some wires are getting crossed," Rebecca stated. She gestured to the stairs, "Perhaps we should talk about what happened in the kitchen. Tensou kind of narrated a screw up so if we figure out what went wrong maybe next time..."

"What went wrong is this guy put Gia in harm's way!" Jake shouted and pointed his finger at Orion. "He sent the monster right at her! He could have gotten her killed!"

Jake approached the silver Ranger until they were nose to nose. He glared right into Orion's eyes, "You protect her, you hear me? You protect her with your very life or you'll have me to deal with. Got it?"

"Jake, I..."

"Just shut up," Jake grumbled before he stormed off. Orion scratched his head in confusion. Rebecca whistled.

"Looks like Jake's green inside and out."

"Green?" Orion turned to her. "Is that another expression?"

"Someone who's green is jealous," Rebecca nodded.

Orion smiled, "Oh, like the green eyed monster! Gia told me about that..."

"Yeah," Rebecca said. She turned to Orion, "Look, don't take Jake's... PMS personally. Break ups are always messy. I'll go talk to him."

She flashed Orion a smile before making her way upstairs. Orion scratched his head again and turned to Tensou.

"PMS?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Tensou shook his head, "But I know it's not good. I was fairly certain it was a condition that only affected the girls though."

-Megaforce-

Up on the deck, Jake was pacing back and forth to keep himself from doing something completely stupid. Rebecca listened to his footsteps as she made her way over to the table. She sat down and turned to her step brother's direction. Jake shook his head as he looked at her.

"He could have killed her."

"Isn't that always the risk?" Rebecca asked. "Or am I just a scaredy cat for worrying about you guys every time there's a battle?"

"He sent the monster after her. We were down and he pretty much handed her to that freak on a silver platter."

"That's not how I saw it."

"You didn't see it."

"Tensou narrates. To me, it sounded like Gia was a distraction."

"He put her in harm's way!" Jake pointed to the stairs that led below deck. "She's down there, hurt, because he..."

"We don't know his plan," Rebecca shook her head. "Before you could let it unfold, you interfered."

"I wasn't going to let her get hurt."

"That's what happened," Rebecca shrugged. She looked to Jake sympathetically. "Look, Jake, I'm sorry to say it, but you're the one who screwed up here. Orion's plan never got the chance to blow up because you distracted Gia. You were in Orion's way."

"I wasn't going to let the monster touch her," Orion announced as he walked up on the deck. "He wouldn't put his hands on her. While he was busy trying to catch her, I would come up behind him and take him down. That's why I morphed into Samurai Gold. I needed to move as quickly as I could. I would never let anything happen to Gia."

"But this isn't about the plan, is it?" Rebecca asked. Jake lowered his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Jake, is it?"

"You've got to protect her, dude," Jake muttered to Orion but he couldn't make eye contact. "You've got to keep watch. She's strong, she's smart, but sometimes she doesn't think her ideas through all the way. If you're going to be her boyfriend, please take good care of her."

"You're asking me to take care of her?" Orion frowned. "You're scolding me for what happened after everything you've done?"

"She trusts you. It's especially important you honour that trust. Her trust..."

"What do you take me for? An idiot?" Orion shook his head. "I have no plans to betray her trust and of course I'm going to take care of her. Gia's my best friend."

"Look, I'm just saying..."

"You threw her aside," Orion said. "You gave up. You have no right to tell me how to handle my friendship with Gia after the way you made her feel."

"I..."

"If you wanted to take care of her, you should have fought harder for her."

"She's happy with you. She trusts you. That's the greatest feeling in the world and if you're going to hurt her..."

"Okay, whoa. Time out," Rebecca crossed her hands in a "T" as she hopped off the table. She stood between both boys. "Okay, we're just going around in circles here. You two seriously need to figure out your shit with Gia."

"Jake, I'm not trying to take your place," Orion looked to the green Ranger. "I'm not trying to be the next Jake. I don't want that. I'm Orion."

"What's your point?"

"Gia's my best friend. I'm not going to let anything or anyone hurt her," Orion stated. "But I'm not you. I'm not going to coddle her and protect her, especially when she doesn't need it. Maybe you don't see it, but she's a big girl. She can make her own decisions now. Decisions about what she wanted to do with her life and who she wants to be with."

"I know that..."

"Do you?" Orion frowned. "Do you really? Is that why, whenever you're around, Gia feels like she's been kicked in the stomach? You gave up on her, Jake. You made her feel like she wasn't worth fighting for."

"She is worth fighting for," Jake looked up with a curious frown. "Why... why would she think she's..."

"You gave her your blessing to be with Orion," Rebecca rolled her eyes and then slapped her brother in the chest. "Dumb dumb, even Cliff fought harder for her than you did."

"Gia might kick my ass for telling you this," Orion said, "but I think you need to hear it. After you attacked Cliff, Gia was scared of you. She was scared of what you would do next. But she never wanted things to end for good."

"So Jia with a J can still happen?" Rebecca asked, her face brightening up hopefully. Orion shrugged his shoulders.

"Depends on what Jake does," Orion said. "Gia's not just going to take you back. If you really want her, you have to fight for her. At least show her she used to mean something to you."

"But you two are dating," Jake frowned deeply and shook his head. "If Gia's happy with you..."

"I'm willing to stand aside for her happiness," Orion held up his hands and smiled softly. "You're the guy Gia really wants, but only if you'll have her. At the end of the day, the decision is hers. But Jake, you've got to fight for her."

"How do I do that when she's already moved on?" Jake asked and gestured to Orion. "She's with you, dude. She's happy. I've never seen her so... so..."

"Gia and I are really good friends."

"You're kissing."

"It's what friends do on Andrasia," Orion told him. "Gia's been amazing. I can finally bring some of my culture here to Earth through her. I feel a little more at home."

"You're kissing," Jake repeated. Orion sighed loudly, rolled his eyes and then leaned in. Before Jake knew it, he was being kissed, he might say passionately, on the lips by Orion. When the silver Ranger finally broke the kiss, Jake was left speechless.

"Uh... what's going on?" Rebecca asked. "Someone... hello, dolphin senses don't pick up on everything!"

"You kissed me!" Jake gasped. Orion nodded his head.

"It's an Andrasian sigh of friendship. Like how you would bump fists with the guys or hug the girls. We kiss."

"You kissed me!"

"Damn, I wish I had seen that," Rebecca muttered.

"You can still win Gia," Orion said to Jake. "But you're in for the fight of your life. The question is, is she worth it?"

"She's worth everything," Jake nodded his head. "If you're cool with this..."

"I want to see Gia happy," Orion assured him. "And not the kind of happy I think is right for her. The kind of happy I know she deserves. Fight for her, Jake. No matter what happens, there are no hard feelings."

"Same," Jake smiled and offered to fist bump Orion. The silver Ranger saw the gesture, chuckled and returned it. After that, Jake looked up at him a little nervously. "Just, uh, dude. No more kissing me, alright? I'm not really into the whole... Andrasian friendship stuff."

"Can I get a hug?"

"Alright, I can do that," Jake said. Rebecca, meanwhile, huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"No one's going to believe this. Once they wake up... Oh," Rebecca turned her head between both boys, "Um, it's great that you both made up and want to fight over the same girl and stuff but, we've still got four Rangers completely passed out tired downstairs so..."

"We've got to stop this monster," Jake said as he looked to Orion. "And this time, I promise, I'm not getting in the way."


	4. Tired Talks

Jake was anxious for a fight. Not because he wanted to beat someone up but because he wanted his teammates to wake up. He especially wanted to be able to talk to Gia, to figure out where her head was at so he would know how he should fight for her and if he really did still stand a chance. He had to think that if Orion was right and Gia did feel like he had quit on her, he had a long way to go to make it up.

But the monster was taking his sweet time getting back. It gave Jake and Orion plenty of time to train together, but Jake was beginning to wonder if he ever would show up again. Really, if Vekar was smart, he'd send in a new monster to finish off the remaining Rangers and then there would be no one to stand in his way.

Fortunately, Vekar wasn't smart. Jake had hopes for the monster's return. He just wanted it to be soon.

Orion called for a break. He had been up all night training and finally needed to take some time to rest. He set his trident down and walked into his bedroom while Jake continued to practice on the dummy on the deck. Several minutes later, he heard a sad whimper coming from behind him. He turned around and saw Tiger curled up on the floor. She seemed to be crying.

Jake stopped his training and walked over to the growing cub. He sat beside her and pulled her onto his lap.

"I take it you tried to wake Gia up?" he asked. Tiger nestled into his lap, seeking his comfort. Jake stroked her on the top of the head. Tiger was always upset when something happened to Gia. The yellow Ranger was her mother so Tiger was extremely attached. Anytime Gia was down, Tiger didn't know what to do with herself. Jake continued to pet the cub, "Don't worry. We'll figure this out. We always do."

It was then Jake heard some noise coming from below deck. He took Tiger off his lap and started to make his way to the stairs.

"Troy, don't get up!" he heard Rebecca say in frustration. He was shocked. The Rangers, last he had heard, were unwakeable. The monster had put them in a deep sleep. Jake didn't think they were going to be up again until after he and Orion defeated the monster. Hearing Rebecca talking to Troy, he raced downstairs. Tiger bolted past him and he watched the cub jump up onto the bed with the yellow blanket.

"There you are," he heard Gia's soft, tired voice say. He wanted to run straight to her, but seeing Rebecca struggling to keep Troy in bed, he knew he had to help. He walked up to the red Ranger and easily pushed him down.

"Dude, you look horrible," he said. Troy could barely keep his eyes opened. He looked like he was seconds away from death. Jake didn't need to hear Tensou say the Rangers needed to stay in bed to know he couldn't allow his friends to get up.

"That monster is still..."

"Troy, we've got this," Jake assured him. "Orion and I have a plan. We'll take him down and have you all feeling better in no time."

"I can help," Troy said and tried to get up again. Jake tried to hold him down, but for someone with very little strength, Troy was persistent. Eventually, Jake decided just to let gravity do its work. Troy pulled himself out of bed but couldn't hold himself up. He crashed to the floor and then couldn't get up.

"You're super mega stubborn," Rebecca muttered as she pulled her brother back up in his bed and then put the blankets over him. "That monster drained all your energy. You're too weak to do anything but rest."

"But..."

"Hey, chill," Rebecca smiled, "We're taking care of everything. Just nap."

"I promise, we won't let you down," Jake assured him again and then walked over to Gia's bed. Her eyes were shut but her hand was still stroking Tiger's back so he knew she was awake. He cleared his throat, unsure of how to get her attention. Gia barely opened her eyes to look at him.

"I feel sick," she said. Jake nodded his head.

"Don't worry too much about it," he told her. "I'm going to make sure this monster learns his lesson. He'll think twice before he steals energy from Rangers again."

"Orion has a plan," Gia whispered. Jake nodded again.

"I know. We talked it over. We talked about a lot, actually," Jake scratched the back of his head nervously. "Hey, um, Gia, listen. About... well, about everything... I screwed up. I..."

"She's asleep," Jake heard Emma say and turned around to the pink cot. He frowned.

"How do you know?"

Emma tiredly pointed to Gia's hand, which had stopped stroking Tiger and was resting lightly over her cub.

"We all want to be sleeping," Emma said as she rolled over to face Jake. She looked up at him. She was exhausted, but Jake could tell she wanted to talk. "Sounds like you were making an apology."

"You're her best friend," Jake nodded. "If I tell her I made a mistake, do you think she'll take me back?"

"You're the love of her life," Emma said. "She wants you."

"So yes?"

"It's complicated, Jake. You broke her heart."

"It was a misunderstanding, though," Jake leaned forward slightly and sighed. "She broke up with me. I thought what I did was unforgiveable and..."

"It is."

"I just wanted her to be happy," Jake told Emma. "I didn't want her to feel like I was holding her back. I didn't mean to... I never wanted her to think I gave up on her. What do I do, Emma? She means everything to me. Please, for once, can you just tell me what I need to do to... yeah, perfect," he muttered when he noticed the pink Ranger had fallen back to sleep. He rolled his eyes, sighed loudly and then turned back to Gia. A part of him hoped she had woken up during his speech but she was still out cold. Tiger, meanwhile, was gently nudging her cheek to wake her. Jake shook his head.

"Sorry, cub," he scooped the tiger up in his arms. "Gia needs to sleep. I'll look after you."


	5. It's Never Simple

When Gia woke up again, it took her a minute to realize what was going on around her. She knew that whatever sleep she had gotten hadn't been very restful. She was still exhausted. Probably more so than before she had fallen asleep. It was then she realized she and her other teammates had been put until the latest alien's spell and had their energy drained. Only Jake and Orion were awake.

Not seeing them below deck, Gia sat up in her cot. Tensou was standing by his monitor, wincing and making sad, scared sounds. All Gia's body wanted to do was lie back down and sleep but she was curious as to what was going on. She remembered Jake had been by her side just before she passed out and didn't think it was like him to disappear.

So she slowly got out of her cot but then fell to the ground. Her legs and knees were so weak they couldn't hold her up. Hearing her fall, Tensou turned away from the monitor. He saw her on the ground and with a surprised gasp he rolled over and helped her up.

"What are you doing out of bed?" he asked her as he tried to get her to lie back down. "You and the Rangers need your rest."

"Jake and Orion..."

"The monster's back," Tensou said. "They're out beating him now."

"Beating? I want to see."

"Gia..."

"I want to see, Tensou," Gia stated firmly. Tensou didn't seem very sure of himself, but he helped Gia walk up to the monitor. He let her lean on him as they watched the screen.

"Here's a message for the Armada!" she heard Jake say as he slashed at the monster with his Snake Axe not once, or even twice, but three times in a row. "You mess with our friends; you get your ass kicked!"

"They're doing great," Tensou nodded his head, throwing Gia off balance slightly. "Once Orion's plan went through, they've been doing nothing but kicking butt. I almost feel bad for the alien."

"Hopefully he feels as burnt out as we do," Gia muttered and swayed slightly. Tensou quickly grabbed her to hold her steady.

"You really should get back to bed. You're not helping anyone by being up."

"I just needed to make sure they were okay," Gia said. Tensou took this as her surrender and was about to lead her back to bed when they heard the monster speak on the monitor.

"You know, rumour around the galaxy is Vekar's looking for a new wife. After the way your stupid pink Ranger humiliated him, he's going to make sure he gets it right this time. And guess who he's planning on wedding?"

"Someone twice as ugly as him?" Orion teased and nudged Jake playfully. The now green RPM Ranger chuckled and nodded his head.

"That's going to be a tough find," he added.

"Your precious yellow Ranger," the monster said tauntingly and all the joking stopped. Jake and Orion turned and looked to each other through their visors and right in the other's eyes. This was just an alien – a servant to the Armada – and he was on his last leg, desperate to turn the fight back around in his favour. Just because he said something didn't make it true.

However, the boys didn't want to hear any more of it. Gia noticed both of them tense up. They were out for blood.

"Who should take this one?" Orion asked. Jake clenched his fists tightly.

"If you don't mind, I'd really love to send a real message up to the Armada."

"You know Gia's not here to see this, right? She won't see you fighting for her this time."

"She doesn't have to see this," Jake growled. "I've got her back, no matter what happens."

"Then do the honours," Orion gestured to the beaten monster. "I've got your back."

"Your ass is mine!"

Gia watched the green Ranger rush forward and battle Skeltox with passionate fury. It was similar to the way she had seen him beat up on Cliff, but this still seemed very different somehow. Jake wasn't just in control of the fight; he also had control over himself.

The alien no longer stood a chance. He took hit after hit as Jake cycled through as many Legendary Modes as possible before, finally, the monster exploded where he stood. As the smoke cleared up, Jake looked up at the sky, removed his helmet and glared. He knew the Armada was watching.

"Threaten her or any of my friends again, I'll do this to every last one of you!" he shouted. Orion's hand then fell on his shoulder. Jake glanced over to him, nodded his head and the two started to walk away.

Not long after that, the Armada had a message of their own as Skeltox grew. Orion insisted he could finish him off with the Q-Rex Megazord so Jake stood on the sidelines to watch, just in case.

Tensou whistled as he turned away from the screens. He walked Gia back to her cot and helped her sit down.

"I'd say he still loves you," Tensou told the yellow Ranger. "Maybe almost as much as I love your mother."

"What just happened?" Gia asked the robot. Tensou looked up.

"They won. Well, there's still the Megazord battle but, the first round is won."

"I mean... with Jake," Gia looked the little robot in the eyes. "What Jake just did, and what you said..."

"He still loves you."

Gia shook her head, "Tensou, that doesn't make sense. He gave up. I wasn't worth fighting for. I..."

"Sometimes, you don't know what you have until it's gone," Tensou said. "I try not to pry into your personal business too much, but Jake has been pretty down lately. I've noticed he's been most upset whenever he's watching you and Orion."

"But Jake gave up. He gave me his blessing. He... he..."

"Hey, I'm happy Vanessa's with Claire," Tensou said. "She obviously loves her. They've been great friends for a while. If your mothers do get married, I'll happily attend the wedding... uh, if I'm invited."

"Of course, Tensou."

"That said, that doesn't mean I don't still miss her," Tensou looked up at Gia. "That doesn't mean I don't sometimes wish... you know, that it worked out for us."

"Do you think Jake thinks he made a mistake?"

"I think, even if he only loves you half as much as he used to love you, he's still going to love you a billion times more than he'll ever love anyone else," Tensou said.

"A billion?"

"It's a hyperbole. I'm making a point," Tensou said. "You know, I'm more than just the robot sidekick. I get around. I do see what you Rangers get up to when you're not on the battlefield or in my workshop."

"I know you are," Gia said. She lay down in her cot and looked up at the ceiling. Tensou's words and Jake's actions had given her a lot to think about. Perhaps her split from Jake was a lot more complicated than either of them was willing to let on. And with Orion so willing to step aside for her happiness, maybe she was missing all the signs that pointed to things not being truly over between them.

On the screen, Gia could just vaguely see Orion being the alien in his Megazord. Beside her, on the other cots, the other Rangers were slowly getting up. When they saw Gia still laying down, they all looked to her.

"Are you not feeling better?" Troy asked. Gia shook her head.

"I'm getting my energy back," Gia said. "I'm fine. I'm just... I might still need a minute."

"Tensou..."

"Everything's normal," the little robot assured the Rangers. "You all do recover at different rates, though. Gia's got the robo-heart and it takes more time to build up energy. She'll be back to her old self soon, I promise."

"Well, we're getting up," Emma told her best friend. "Want one of us to come check on you later if you're not up?"

Gia nodded her head and rolled over in her cot, pretending like she was going to get a little more rest. She had her energy back. She could join the others up on the deck, but she had a lot to think about. When her friends were gone, she looked over to Tensou briefly.

"Thanks for covering for me."

"No problem," Tensou answered. "I like the company down here anyways. Sometimes I get pretty lonely. Stay as long as you need."


	6. Loving Looks

Jake and Orion were glad to see their friends up and about when they returned to the ship. They had been extra determined to beat the monster that had stolen their energy and knew that gave them the edge they needed to win. But to see their efforts had paid off and they had actually saved their friends was what they needed to feel real relief.

However, one person was missing. It was the one person both Jake and Orion really wanted to see. They asked after Gia and were a little worried to hear she hadn't yet gotten out of bed.

"It's still awkward between us," Jake said to Orion. "Go talk to her. Make sure she's okay."

Orion nodded his head and walked below deck. Jake sighed loudly as he watched the silver Ranger go and he sat down at the table. He rested his head in his hands just as someone sat next to him.

"Did you mean it?"

He looked up at Emma curiously, "Huh?"

"What you said? You still want Gia. Did you mean it?"

"You remember when Jordan had no memory of you?" Jake asked her. He saw her nod and continued. "You remember how even though things were pretty much dead between the two of you, you'd still do anything to have him back? How you loved him, even when it was complicated and weird?"

"I wouldn't call it weird," Emma frowned. "But yeah."

"This got out of hand," Jake said. "I let her go because I thought it was best for her. I never stopped loving her. But she broke up with me so I just... I thought it was over for her. I didn't want her to feel like she had to walk on eggshells around me."

Jake rubbed his face in his hands and sighed loudly, "This is all complicated, Emma. Right from the very beginning. I mean, I knew it would be. I know what I signed up for. It's just... I'm trying so hard not to be Cliff. I don't want to tell her what to do, push her around, make her feel like she owes me anything, you know. I don't want her to..."

"Cliff is over," Emma shook her head. "He's gone. It's done..."

"It's never done," Jake said. "What he did to her is going to stick forever and..."

"Cliff isn't the center of her world anymore," Emma said. She took Jake's hand, "He's hurt her. She can't run away from that completely. But that pain doesn't run her life anymore. She's let it go."

"Emma..."

"Jake, I'm serious," Emma interrupted him sternly, "Since Cliff died for good, I've never seen Gia so happy, so open, so trusting. The way she is with Orion is proof that she's finally beaten Cliff. That he's got no power over her anymore. Honestly, she's everything we knew she could be."

"Yeah, but Emma..."

"There's only one thing wrong with this picture," Emma said. "Orion's not you."

"Emma..."

"Look, Jake, I can't pretend to know what's going on between those two. All I know is right now, Gia's happy to be around him and I'm not going to get in her way. I like her happy. I like her like this. But I do know one thing, and you can take this to the bank: The way she looks at him, holds him, or touches him, it's got nothing on you."

"You think?"

Emma held up one finger, indicating she would be back quickly. Jake watched her rush off to her bedroom and then saw her come back with one of her many photo albums. She set it down in front of him with a smile.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Evidence you're a really great stalker?"

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes, "They're pictures, Jake. Real pictures that capture real moments and real emotions from almost everyone on this ship."

"So I was right?"

Emma opened the album to the first page. Jake smiled a little seeing it was a picture of Noah and Rebecca, but then looked up at Emma with a frown.

"Are you trying to rub it in that everyone on this ship is happy in love except me?"

"Jordan's not here, so you can't say that," Emma shook her head. "Jake, look at the picture. Really look at it. What do you see?"

"How insanely creepy it is you're taking pictures of Noah and Rebecca in really intimate moments."

Emma slapped her hand to her forehead and sighed, "I don't know what Gia sees in you," She pointed to the picture, "You did say intimate, though. How do you know this is intimate?"

"They look like they're on a date," Jake said.

"What makes it look like a date?"

"They look happy."

"How do you know they look happy?"

"Are we playing twenty questions?"

"Your stupid answers are making me ask questions," Emma muttered. She pointed to Noah's eyes, "Look at the way he's looking at Rebecca. Have you ever seen him looking at anything like this?"

Jake shook his head, "No. Rebecca's special. But Em, everyone knows that. Before her, Noah barely even knew what a girl was!"

"But that's changed, right?" Emma asked. "Rebecca's special, just like you said. She makes him feel like he's got everything. Like he's the happiest, luckiest person in the world. Maybe even the universe, right?"

"Yes," Jake nodded. Emma pointed to Rebecca.

"She's got the same look. Every time she sees him, or hears his voice, her face lights up. She's kind of like Gia. Her first choice in a guy turned out to be a total dick, but now she's found someone who makes her feel special. I'll bet, anytime she's with Noah, she forgets all about her ex boyfriend. He's what's important, and you can tell by the look in her eyes, she's happy."

"So?"

Emma flipped the page. This time, it was a picture of Troy playing with Ryan. Jake frowned deeply as he looked to the pink Ranger.

"This is getting creepy."

"Look at how he looks at her," Emma smiled. "You and I know Troy as the soft spoken, hard headed overprotective red Ranger. He's different when he's with Ryan. He's madly in love with his little sister. You can see it in the way his eyes light up when he's with her."

"Ryan's adorable," Jake rolled his eyes. "Who doesn't love her?"

"Look closer, Jake. When else do you see Troy so happy? So fulfilled?"

"Never," Jake shook his head. "Ryan's special. I get it, Emma, I..."

Emma turned the page. Jake saw it was a picture of him. He remembered the moment. He had been playing a game of cards with Gia and having a great time. He couldn't remember Emma taking the picture, but already knew that sometimes she liked to move around the ship snapping shots.

Gia wasn't in the shot, but Jake knew she was there not just because he remembered the moment, but because he recognized the look in his own eyes. It was the way he looked at Gia all the time: completely, undeniably in love.

"You have a stupid crush face," Emma said. "But it's a bit adorable. And you only ever make it when Gia's around."

"Why isn't Gia in the shot, though?" Jake asked. "You've got Noah and Rebecca in one shot. Troy and Ryan in another. Why am I in a love shot alone?"

"Gia's moments are too fleeting even for me," Emma sighed. "She's always been my biggest project."

"So, you're trying to show me Gia's still in love with me, by bringing out a picture book that shows everyone in love but Gia?"

"I'm a photographer, Jake. I take so many amazing pictures..."

"If you do say so yourself."

"Shut up. I take good pictures. But there are shots I dream of getting. Shots that are so rare and so amazing that if I were to capture them, they would be invaluable."

"So?"

"After everything she's been through, catching Gia with that same light in her eyes as everyone else in this book would be a one in a million shot. I've had a few good chances. Some pictures were blurred, once I nearly dropped my camera. One time, Tiger decided she would try and eat my camera as I was taking the picture."

"She'll eat anything if we don't feed her," Jake chuckled.

"Gia's never really let herself be that open, that exposed for very long. Even as kids, she'd usually try to appear tough, unmoved. Getting her to show that light is damn near impossible. But I can promise you one thing: I've only gotten my best chances when she's looked at you."

"Me?"

"Not Orion. Doesn't matter how close they're getting, how much they hug, or even that they kiss. Gia never looks at Orion the same way she looks at you."

"So, you think I've got a good shot winning her back?"

"I don't know," Emma shrugged and closed the photo album. "You did give up. That hurt her. You can't just stroll in and expect her to fall back into your arms again just because you say you've made a mistake. I'm just saying you're still the only guy who's ever made her feel better just by walking into the room."

Emma took Jake's hand again with a smile, "By the way, stop trying to be the opposite of Cliff. The more you try not to be like him, the more you start to act the way he does. Be yourself and let Gia decided if that's good enough for her. She's strong enough to do that, thanks to you."

Jake nodded his head, smiled, thanked Emma, and then asked her if he could look through her photo album again. There were no pictures that even came close to Gia looking lovingly at anything, except maybe the ones with Tiger, but Jake hoped that the more familiar he was with her usual happy, in love demeanour, the better he would be at identifying when she was giving the look that meant she was head over heels in love.

And if she did look at him that way, he would know he still had a chance.

-Megaforce-

Below deck, Orion found Gia laying in her cot and walked up to her slowly. She heard him coming and turned to him, sighing when she saw it was only him.

"I guess I've had worse welcomes," he chuckled. "You stealing my key, for one."

"Sorry. I was just..."

"Hoping I was Jake?"

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Know my thoughts better than I do," Gia looked up at the silver Ranger, "I saw you beat him."

"The monster?"

"I saw you and Jake kicking his ass."

"We did, didn't we," Orion smirked. Gia sat up and leaned forward. She looked down at her blanket.

"I saw Jake defending me," she said. "Orion, was that..."

"Real," he nodded his head. He took Gia's hand, "After you passed out, Jake and I had a bit of a... disagreement. He thought we were dating."

"I don't blame him."

"He thought that meant I had to protect you. He was pretty pissed to find out our plan involved you being the distraction."

Gia sighed loudly and clenched her fists, "When are they all going to stop? I don't need protecting..."

"Gia, he's well meaning," Orion said. "He cares about you, a lot. He doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"I know, but..."

"Look, he's a bit of a doof. At least, lately. But he and I are both trying to accomplish the same thing."

"What's that?"

"Making sure you're happy," Orion smiled. "You mean the world to both of us. I'd do pretty much anything to see you smiling and he feels the same way. He knows he's screwed up bad but, you've got to give him something. You did break up with him, after all."

"That doesn't mean I stopped loving him. That doesn't mean I don't still want him."

"Isn't that exactly what break ups mean?" Orion asked. "I mean, when Emma explained break ups to me, she said they meant you didn't want to be with a person anymore."

"But..."

"Jake's not a mind reader. Sure, he stopped fighting for you, but look at the cards you handed him. Did you really fight for him?"

"I took an axe to the heart," Gia frowned. "Sorry if I think I needed a little space after that."

"The choice is yours, Gia. Jake or me," Orion said. "You know I'm not hurt either way. But I think it might be fair for both of us if you figure out who you really wanted. Personally, I think it would be most fair if you gave Jake another shot."

"What about you?" Gia asked. "I don't want to..."

"Like I said, Gia, we don't date on Andrasia. The only thing that matters to me is our friendship. As long as we still have that, I'm happy. I promise."

"Is Jake upstairs?" Gia asked. Orion nodded his head.

"He came home with me. Safe and sound. He's desperate to see how things work out between all of us."

"I want to talk to him," Gia said and slowly pushed herself out of bed. Just before she left, she turned to Orion and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. You're a good person, Orion."

"Thanks," Orion smiled and blushed softly. Gia started to make her way upstairs. She saw Jake sitting by the table, staring down at what looked like a book. She called his name softly. He turned. She saw him try to hide it, but he was happy, ecstatic even that she was just looking his way. She noticed the way his eyes lit up, how he seemed better just by looking at her. She mentally kicked herself for forgetting how much she meant to him and for thinking a guy as amazing and passionate as Jake would just throw in the towel on something he loved.

So her face lit up, mirroring the exact way he was looking at her. Tensou had assured her it never would, but she felt her heart skip a beat, her face flushed, and she felt butterflies. Good butterflies.

"Gia, I..."

"Did you mean it?" Gia asked him as Jake walked over to her. He shook his head.

"No. I'm sorry, I... I never should have..." Jake trailed off when he saw her face fall. He reached out and took her hand, "Wait. What are we talking about?"

"I saw the fight," Gia said. "You told Orion you had my back, no matter what. Did you mean it?"

Jake breathed a sigh of relief, then nodded his head and smiled, "I made a mistake. I thought you didn't want me anymore so I just... I figured if I just let you go, you'd be happier. But I never stopped loving you, Gia, and I never do want to stop. No matter what happens, no matter who you choose, you can always count on me to..."

Jake was interrupted when Gia threw herself into his arms. She hugged him tight and buried her face in his shoulder. Jake loved and missed the way she fit perfectly in his arms.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him. "The break up... I didn't mean..."

"I'm sorry," Jake shook his head and kissed the top of hers. "Attacking Cliff like that was wrong. You were right. I'm better than that. You deserve better than that."

"I love you."

"I love you too," Jake smiled.

A little ways off, Emma lowered her camera with a smile and turned to Tiger seated next to her. She showed the cub the picture she had gotten.

"Take it in, Tiger. You're never going to see a shot like this one again," she said with a bright smile on her face. "I've waited for this for a very, very long time."


	7. The Better Man

Gia shrugged her shoulders, bit her lip nervously and looked down at the blanket in her hands.

"Why did you do it?" she asked Jake.

"Kill Cliff?" it was Jake's turn to feel nervous. He shrugged his shoulders and found he couldn't look the yellow Ranger in the eyes. "I wanted to protect you."

Gia sighed loudly. She knew it was well intentioned, but she had really grown to dislike hearing those words. She looked at Jake while he still couldn't make eye contact with her.

"I don't need protecting. I know what I have."

Jake nodded his head, "I wanted him out of your life. Out of both our lives," Jake scratched his ear and shrugged his shoulders again. "He was right there. We finally won. I didn't see the point in letting that slip away from us. I never meant to scare you."

"You did."

Jake exhaled slowly and shook his head. He didn't really know what to say anymore. Gia was exactly on point. He had become the monster she feared. She had every right to want to pull away from him. And sadly for him, there was no way to justify his actions.

"Jake, it's not who you attacked," Gia told him. "It's what you did. How you did it."

"I know."

"Orion and I talked about this," Gia reached across the bed and gently took Jake's hand, "Just because we're together, doesn't mean other guys are going to stop hitting on me. Cliff's definitely one in a million, but with over seven billion people on this planet, that's still a lot more of him out there. We're bound to run into another one or two."

Jake clenched his fists, pulled his hand out of Gia's grasp and turned away. Gia leaned in a little closer to him.

"I don't want to see you turning into one of them," she told him. "I don't want you fighting fire with fire. I don't want to get caught in this same cycle with a man I know can be different. I don't want to lose you to the same thing that took Cliff."

"It's the thought of anyone putting their hands on you, trying to push you around, or hurting you that..."

"Jake, I'm okay," Gia smiled at him but he still wouldn't look at her. She cupped his face in both her hands, forcing him to face her. "They don't bother me. Not as long as I have a good man to come home to. A man I know I can be myself around. A man I trust will shut all those assholes out without resorting to barbaric violence."

"And that good man..."

"I want him to be you. I know he can be you. But you can't do this, Jake. When someone checks me out, makes a stupid comment, or even tries something he shouldn't, you can't beat him up. You can't intimidate him with violence. That's Cliff's thing, and it's the reason I hate him. Please, Jake, don't make me hate you too."

Jake shook his head. To be hated by Gia was the last thing he wanted. The last several days thinking she had moved on from him had been some of the worst in his life. He couldn't imagine moving forward without her. But the idea of not doing anything when other guys degraded her or abused her didn't sit well with him. Even if it didn't bother her, it bothered him.

He didn't know when it started, but he felt a tear slip down his cheek. He finally looked at Gia but it was only for a moment. He had to close his eyes. Her face was clean. There were no bruises or scratches, and while her body did have some permanent scars, he couldn't see them under her clothes. She looked good, she looked strong.

But Jake could see scars. When he looked at her and when he thought of what had been and could be he could see the black eyes, the busted lips, the broken nose. He could see the pain in her eyes; the fear on her face. He remembered vividly the night of the party when Mick and Alex took advantage of her. He remembered visiting her in the hospital after finding out about Cliff. He remembered Gia's feeling of hopelessness when Cliff had his way with her once Vrak broke him out of jail. He knew her struggle to stay strong when she found out Vrak had brought Cliff back to life.

He hated the abuse, the humiliation, the fear, the submissiveness and the control Cliff could impose on Gia. He despised the way Cliff could break her. He never wanted to see her go through that again with Cliff or anyone else. Gia meant the world to him. She was everything he loved, valued, and needed. To think that there was someone, or even many people out there, who would chose to beat her down sickened him.

Gia saw his tear, saw how upset he was and pulled in closer to him. She put her arms around him, "Jake..."

"It hurts, Gia," Jake muttered as he rested his head on her shoulder. "I don't like this. Any of this."

"Jake, I'm sorry."

"There's nothing I can do, is there?" Jake asked her. He pulled away and looked her in the eyes. "I'm outnumbered. No matter what I do, there's always going to be someone out there who wants to hurt you."

"I trust you," Gia whispered. "Those guys can say or do whatever they want..."

"I don't want that," Jake shook his head and clenched his fists. "I don't want anyone to ever try and hurt you..."

"They won't. They can't," Gia assured him. "Because I'll have you, a real man, to remind me every day what it means to actually be loved. Guys, no one, actually, can hurt me as long as I have you. As long as I know I've got a good, strong, real man who cares about me and loves me just as much as I love him, I know everything's going to be okay."

Gia leaned in slowly and kissed Jake lightly on the lips. When she pulled away, she looked up at him with a smile.

"I wouldn't have beaten Cliff without you," she told him. "You're the guy, the only guy, who made me believe in real love again. You made me believe it was possible and I could have it. And now that I know what it feels like, I'm not going to settle for less."

Gia kissed him again and then leaned in closer. She rested her head on his chest, wrapped her arms loosely around his waist and smiled, "As long as you're a better man, you're the only man I want."

Jake nodded. He kissed the top of her head and put his arms around her, "I promise," he whispered. "I promise nothing's going to come between us again."

Gia gave Jake a little squeeze before there was a knock on the door. She called for whoever it was to come inside. She and Jake were done talking and she thought maybe Emma or Rebecca needed something from their room. To her surprise, it was Orion coming to check up on them. She was about to tell him she and Jake just wanted some more time to themselves but the green Ranger invited him in.

"Perfect timing," he said as Orion walked to the bed. The silver Ranger smiled when he saw the two wrapped in each other's arms.

"I take it everything went well?"

Jake nodded and then reached his hand out for a shake. Orion accepted it with a little bit of confusion.

"I don't get it."

"Handshakes are..."

"No, I don't get what I'm being thanked for," Orion chuckled. Jake smiled.

"Being the man I should have been," Jake said as he kissed the top of Gia's head again. "You really stepped up back there, dude. In this world of assholes, you have no idea how much it means to me to know there's another good guy out there keeping an eye on Gia."

"What are friends for?" Orion shrugged his shoulders casually.

Jake then scratched the back of his neck nervously, "So, I hope you meant it when you said there were no hard feelings if Gia chose me. Because, well, I think..."

"I meant it," Orion nodded. "As long as she can still be my friend..."

"I'm not standing in your way," Jake said. Gia looked up, whispered something in his ear which caused his eyes to widen. Jake started to shake his head as Gia pulled away, so she whispered again. Orion was really confused by what was happening until Jake spoke again, "Alright, fine. But with some boundaries."

"Duh," Gia nodded. Jake sighed loudly and turned to Orion.

"Andrasian culture is different, right?"

"Uh, which part?"

"The... friend... stuff..."

"Oh, uh... if you'd like me to tone that down a lot then..."

"Yes," Jake said but he was nudged hard in the ribs by Gia. He turned to her and saw her glaring at him.

"It's his culture. His home. It's the least _we_ can do to make him feel comfortable."

Jake rolled his eyes, "Look, the touchy-feely stuff you're used to is... usually off limits on another guy's girl but... considering on Andrasia and to you it just means friendship... you and Gia can... Andrasia-it-up. _But!_ Within reason."

Jake looked Orion dead in the eyes as he started to list off his conditions: "Cuddles are only acceptable for comfort. You two can't just get all comfy cozy on the couch after a long day. Gia cuddles me. If you want affection, get your own girlfriend."

"What about hugs?"

"Hugs are fine," Jake nodded. "Hug as much as you want. It's just the cuddling I don't want to see going overboard. As for the kissing stuff... the lips are off limits. Or any other part that you shouldn't even be touching with your h- OW!"

"I think he gets it," Gia growled to Jake as she shot him another glare.

"Sorry, right," Jake nodded. He turned back to Orion, "As for those kiss greetings. That stays on the cheek. And no lingering! A peck, a hello, and that's it. And no hand holding unless one of you is hanging off a cliff."

"He's really uptight," Orion said to Gia. The yellow Ranger nodded her head.

"Andrasian culture is pretty weird to everyone here. He is trying. And I do agree with what he's saying."

"Oh, and when you do decide to have kids," Jake said. "Gia is not an option. If she's carrying any babies, they're going to be mine."

"Whoa," Gia whispered as she backed away from both boys. "I've not agreed to have either of your babies yet."

"I'm just saying," Jake said. "I know on Andrasia people have babies with people they like and Orion obviously likes you."

"Can we not talk babies, though," Gia shook her head. "Seriously, it's freaking me out."

"I understand there are boundaries," Orion assured Jake. "And I'll try not to cross any of them. And if I ever do..."

"Don't."

"But accidentally..."

"Okay, let me run this over one more time," Jake said. "Cuddling is for comfort only..."

"I'm getting water," Gia sighed. She got up from the bed and left the two boys to talk over their conditions to Gia and Orion's friendship while she stepped outside. On the deck, she felt a warm, humid wind blow past her and could feel a subtle shift in the atmosphere. She looked up and saw Emma in the crow's nest with her camera out. Deciding a glass of water could wait, Gia climbed up to join her best friend.

"You'll be happy to know, Jake and I are together," Gia announced as she stepped up into the crow's nest. Emma didn't take her eyes off the view as she smiled and nodded her head.

"That's great."

"You will not be an aunt any time soon, either. I promise that."

"I... what?" Emma turned to her best friend with a deep and curious frown. Gia shook her head.

"Never mind. So what are you looking at?"

Emma gestured out at the view. In the distance, Gia could see the dark, ominous clouds coming her way.

"I think we're in for our first major storm on the Sky Ship," Emma said. "I'm getting some great shots of the lightning, though."

"You think it's moving this way?"

"Pretty positive," Emma nodded her head. Gia looked out. She saw several lightning bolts strike at once and couldn't imagine what it would be like to be under such a dark, charged cloud. Emma turned to her. "The Sky Ship should be able to handle it, though, right?"

"It's made to destroy monsters and withstand powerful blasts. I doubt lightning's going to cause much damage."

Emma nodded her head. Gia had to be right. While Vrak's recent cold spell had been able to shut down the ship, she was sure Tensou wouldn't let something like that happen again. She lifted her camera, snapped another picture of the lightning in the distance and then smiled.

"Remember when we were little," she said. "There was that big storm that knocked out the power in the middle of the night."

"I remember you screaming," Gia chuckled and nudged Emma lightly. "It was the same day I killed that spider. You actually thought Mother Nature was trying to kill us back."

"I was four."

"It was hilarious," Gia said. She leaned against the sides with a content sigh. "Do you remember what dad did?"

Emma started to chuckle, "He always had a way of making things better."

"He kept that picture on his wall," Gia said. "The one you painted that night. He hung it in his office and it was there until your mother moved in."

"Seriously?" Emma turned to the yellow Ranger. "I never noticed it."

"It was there. Pretty much everything we did for him stayed in his office," Gia said with a smile and then breathed out a content sigh again. She turned to Emma, "Anyways, this storm's not going to be anything to worry about. Just make sure you're not up here when it hits."

"I'll be down soon," Emma promised while Gia started to make her way back to the deck.


	8. Stormy Nights

_Author's Note: Just wanted to wish a happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my Canadian readers!_

* * *

><p>Rebecca stood outside on the deck, head up, facing the sky as the rain beat down against her face. It was cold, it was wet, and it hurt a little bit, but she had never felt anything like it before. Without being able to see it, the rain felt amazing and terrifying on her face.<p>

Then came the clap of thunder. It scared her every time she heard it because she could no longer see the lightning that preceded it, but it was always so loud that for just a moment after the boom, she could see nearly everything on the ship. Her friends running around, grabbing everything that wasn't bolted down to the ship to get it out of the wind and rain; the wind blowing the sails, forcing the ship to jerk around even though it was supposed to be strong enough to withstand this kind of weather. She could also see Noah coming towards her, grabbing her around the waist as he pushed her inside her room.

"Are you crazy?" he asked her. Once everyone was inside Rebecca heard the door slam and lock. The Rangers were going to stay together until the storm passed. "You're soaked."

"This is awesome," she smiled as Noah handed her a towel to dry off.

"Some of us don't think so," Troy commented. He took a seat in the rocking chair. He had dragged it over from his room because he knew he would need it during the storm. Since she had been born, there had been a few days of bad weather for Ryan. However, this was by far the worst. She had no idea what the lightning was and the claps of thunder terrified her. She was clinging to her brother and she screamed every time there was thunder or lightning. She wanted the bad weather to stop. She wanted her brother to make it stop. Unfortunately, she had to wait for it to pass. Troy held her close and rocked her in the chair, "Shh, Ry, it's okay. We're safe here."

Ryan didn't believe his words. As lightning flashed again, followed quickly by a loud clap of thunder, she screamed and almost ended up burying herself inside his shirt. Troy chuckled as he pulled her out.

"It's just bad weather, Ry. We're okay."

"Someone's not getting any sleep tonight," Jake said with a little laugh. Troy sighed. He tried to adjust Ryan in his arms, but she didn't want to be separated from her brother for even a second, and protested loudly when he had to lift her up to reposition her.

Another flash of lightning, followed by another, and then thunder and suddenly the lights turned off. Ryan didn't think this night could get any worse, and let everyone know by crying even louder. Noah got up, walked to the light switch and flicked it a couple of times.

"Looks like the power's out," he said. "Something on the ship must have been hit."

"Tensou can fix it though, right?" Orion asked. Noah nodded his head.

"He'll be working on it, I'm sure. In the meantime, I guess we're left in the dark."

"Makes no difference to me," Rebecca shrugged. She walked over to her bed and dropped down. "But what do we do until this storm passes and the power's back?"

"Calm Ryan, for starters," Troy said. He was trying everything with his little sister. He rocked her, stroked her back, whispered softly, but nothing could reassure her during the storm. She cried, clutched his shirt, and whenever she heard the thunder, she screamed.

"Can I try something?" Orion asked and held out his hands. Troy was desperate for anything that would calm his sister and so he passed her over. Ryan didn't seem to like the idea of leaving her brother at such a terrifying time, but Orion held her softly so she didn't put up too much of a fuss about it.

He cradled her in his arms and gently started to rock her as he began to sing. None of the Rangers had any idea what he was saying, as he sung in Andrasian, but the song was calming, soft, and very reassuring even to those who weren't afraid of the storm. At first, Ryan didn't pay much attention to the song, but after a moment her eyes fixed on Orion and she wanted to hear more. Before too long, the thunder would clap but all she seemed to focus on was the music.

"How did you do that?" Rebecca asked as Orion finished. Ryan was finally calmed. She still jumped at the sound of the thunder and was visibly uncomfortable by it, but she was no longer screaming. She just nestled into Orion's arms.

"It's a lullaby I used to sing to my younger brothers and sisters back home," Orion said. "We often get bad weather on Andrasia and our homes aren't built as sturdy as the ones you have here. Kids get scared the roof is going to blow away or a wall will crack and something bad will happen."

"And that song just... stops it?" Jake frowned curiously. Orion nodded.

"The lullaby is thousands of years old, easily. It's been passed down generations in my family because it's so enchanting. Kids who hear it are often so mesmerized, they forget what it was they were upset about."

"So, you've hypnotized my sister?" Rebecca asked. She put her hands on her hips as she contemplated whether or not she liked that idea.

"In a way, I guess," Orion nodded.

"I've never even considered singing lullabies," Troy said as he took Ryan back in his arms. He continued to rock her, just to make sure she kept calm through the rest of the storm. "That's a great idea, Orion."

"You mean you don't have them here?" Orion asked.

"We do," Troy nodded. "I'm just not much of a singer."

"He's nothing of a singer," Rebecca shook her head. "Ryan gets upset when he starts singing _Wheels on the Bus_."

"She just hates that song," Troy frowned.

Rebecca pointed to Emma, "Not when she sings it. Then again, Emma could sing the instructions on the back of a soup can and make it sound like the next big hit."

"You sing?" Orion turned to Emma. She started to blushed deeply. She was glad they were all in the dark so the others couldn't see it. She shrugged her shoulder.

"A little here and there. Mostly in the shower."

"You sang to beat that monster last year, remember?" Noah told her. He turned to Orion, "It was one of the Warstar's aliens. He played this god-awful music that made people's ears bleed."

"More like it made your brain explode," Emma muttered. "But yeah, I kind of out sang him."

"With a beautiful song," Troy smirked. "Damn, how could I forget that? All this time, you could have been singing Ryan to sleep."

"Can you sing the song for me?" Orion asked. Emma was quick to shake her head.

"You wouldn't want to hear it."

"Come on. You heard mine," Orion smiled. Emma shook her head.

"No, seriously. It's not that great."

"I've heard her sing it in the shower," Rebecca said. "It's exactly Emma."

"I..."

"Come on, there's nothing else to do," Rebecca prodded but Emma refused again.

"It's just a stupid song my mom used to sing to me when I was little," she shook her head. "It's the only real mom thing she did before she actually became my mom. Other than that, it's nothing special."

"We sing all the time on Andrasia," Orion commented. "Everyone, whether you can sing well or not. We sing, we dance, especially in the mines."

Rebecca frowned deeply as she turned to the silver Ranger, "Wait, you work in the mines, and you sing while you work?"

"It helps to pass the time," Orion nodded. "And singing together brings people together so it helps us all bond."

"So, like the seven dwarfs?" Rebecca asked. "Or eight, in this case. What's your name? Shiny?"

"Shiny?" Noah asked her with a frown. Rebecca nodded.

"You know, because he's silver."

"What's a dwarf?" Orion asked.

"Never mind," Troy shook his head. "Rebecca's just being dopey."

"Hey!... well, actually, he was my favourite."

"It's a fairy tale character," Gia explained to the silver Ranger. "You know, fantasy stories. With witches and fairies and dragons..."

"Dragons are not fantasy," Orion shook his head. "We had them everywhere on Andrasia. You've really got to watch where you're going. You don't want to run into one."

"Dragons are... real?" Jake asked.

Noah nudged him lightly, "They're real on Earth too. If we ever bump into the Mystic Force Rangers, you can ask them all about Fire Heart."

"That's... amazing, actually," Jake smiled and leaned back in his seat to consider what he had found out. He had never been a huge fan of dragons but to know they really did exist, especially right here on Earth was fascinating.

Emma too, was intrigued that dragons were real and just like Jake she leaned back in her bed to think about what that could mean. She knew hundreds of species that were said to never have existed or to have gone extinct. Perhaps most of them were lies. After all, most people had a tendency to ignore the things they couldn't understand.

However, she didn't get a lot of time to think about it. As she leaned against her pillow, she felt herself press up against something. A squeak from Tiger let her know she had almost sat on the growing cat. Tiger jumped out of Emma's way so she continued to lean back.

Until she felt something wet on her back.

"Gross! Gia!"

"What?" the yellow Ranger asked. Emma grabbed her pillow, brought it up to her nose just to be sure of what it was and then tossed it to her best friend.

"Your cub peed!"

Emma got up and right away took off her shirt. She could feel the urine already soaking through. Gia, meanwhile, checked the pillow out for herself. When she was sure that it was urine, and she knew it could only belong to her tiger, she looked down at the cub on her lap.

"Seriously?"

Tiger whimpered. At the same time, lightning flashed and the thunder quickly followed it. Tiger panicked. She was more than desperate to find somewhere safe to hide and right now could only think of getting inside her mother's shirt. She tried her best to bury herself to get away from the scary storm.

"Ow! Ow! Tiger! Ouch!" Gia picked up the cub and hugged her close to her chest. Tiger still struggled but Gia wrapped her jacket around her. When Tiger was snug and calm, Gia looked down at her stomach. She didn't need much light to see Tiger had torn her up with her claws. "Damn cat..."

"I'll get the first aid kit," Jake sighed as he walked to the bathroom. Gia looked down at Tiger.

"Retract those claws. The bigger you get, the more likely you are to kill me with those."

Tiger looked up at Gia and then licked her face.

"You still owe me a pillow," Emma muttered.


	9. Tensou's Disappearance

The storm lasted well into the night, but the Rangers managed to get some rest despite all the thunder and lightning. They slept together in the girls' bedroom, curled up either in beds, on chairs, or spread out on the floor. When morning came, they woke slowly.

Gia was the first one up. Tiger had gotten her out of bed because she needed to pee, and after the incident with Emma's pillow, she wasn't about to pee in the bedroom again. Gia got up with her cub and stepped out on the deck.

Everything was wet. It didn't seem to bother Tiger at all. After doing her business in a litter box that was almost too small for her now, she splashed around the puddles and rolled around in the water. The Rangers had taken care to bring everything that wasn't bolted down inside one of the three cabins so there wasn't much of a mess to clean up. However, that left very little room to sit.

Gia grabbed herself an apple from the kitchen and then walked back out on the deck to watch Tiger play. She was going to have to bath the cat later but decided to let her cub have fun for now. After several minutes of watching, though, Gia got bored. Remembering Tensou had spent the night on his own, Gia headed below deck to see how he was doing.

"Tensou? You up?" she called as she walked down the stairs. "The storm's over. How was it down here?"

She didn't get an answer. She didn't find that strange. While Tensou didn't need to sleep like the Rangers, during the night he did power down to charge up his systems. If he ran for too long without rest he would sometimes overheat. Assuming he hadn't yet rebooted, Gia walked around his workshop. She knew he liked to power down off in a corner and so searched there first.

"Tense? You weren't afraid of thunder, were you?" Gia called out when she didn't find him right away. "You should have said something. You could have joined us."

It was dark below deck and because she couldn't find Tensou right away, Gia decided to turn on a light. Only when she flipped the switch, nothing happened. The power was still out.

"Tensou? Is everything okay?" Gia picked up a flashlight. Tensou didn't really need it around, but he kept one handy, just in case. She flicked it on and started to look around the dark corners. However, she couldn't find Tensou anywhere.

"That's weird," she said. He wasn't near his computer, in the corners, or anywhere she could usually find him. She checked the prison but they were completely empty. She checked the examination table, but there was still no sign of him.

So she walked up to the deck and had a look around again. Troy was up with Ryan, feeding her what he could for breakfast without any power. He turned to her.

"Power's still out."

"Tensou's not downstairs," Gia confirmed. "He must not have gotten the chance to turn it on."

"He's not downstairs?" Troy frowned. He left Ryan in her chair and walked below deck to see for himself quickly. Gia waited until he came back with her hands on her hips.

"Told you," she said before he could support her claim. Troy scratched the top of his head.

"That's... it's not like him," he said. "Tensou never goes anywhere. He never has to."

"He told me he's been feeling kind of lonely. Maybe he took off?"

"Without telling us?"

"Do we ever really tell him?"

Troy shook his head. Gia had a point, but it was still unusual that the robot was gone. And without having restored power on the ship, his disappearance was made even more peculiar.

"Something happened," Gia stated. "Something must have."

"Tensou is mostly metal," Troy pointed out. "Do you think maybe something happened to him during the storm?"

"If he ventured up here, maybe," Gia nodded her head. "Do you really think he'd do something like that, though? I mean, Tensou's usually smarter than that."

"Maybe the thunder spooked him too," Troy said. "Either way, we've got to find him."

"Without power, the ship must have drifted away from Harwood. Who knows where he could be?"

"Maybe we don't have to look too far," Troy suggested. "Let's head down to the city, see if there's a computer or something we can use. If there's a robot rolling around any city, it's bound to show up on the news."

"God, I hope not," Gia shook her head. "You wake the others. I've got to get Tiger in costume."

"Costume?"

"She's the size of a medium dog and a freaking tiger. She's not going to blend in."

"Leave her on the ship."

"Without Tensou to keep an eye on her?"

"Right..." Troy sighed. "So... what exactly do you mean by costume?"

-Megaforce-

Tiger rubbed her head with her paw, desperately trying to remove the hat that was part of the costume her mistress had forced her to wear. She didn't like it, especially the hat, but Gia had insisted she wear it.

"I know it sucks," Gia said as she clipped the collar around her cub. "But remember what happened in Ocean Bluff? Do you want animal control to take you away?"

Tiger lowered her head and again wanted to remove the hat. Gia reached for it and for a second Tiger was hopeful it was coming off, but Gia only straightened it out.

"Besides, you do look pretty cute," Gia chuckled. "You wear yellow almost as well as I do."

"Is that the yellow Ranger costume I found for her?" Rebecca asked as she knelt down to pet the tiger. Gia nodded her head.

"It doesn't cover her completely. Her tail sticks out. But she looks more like an overgrown cat and less like a tiger when she's wearing it," Gia nodded her head. "I'll just have to make myself look like one of those crazy people who dresses up and humiliates their pets."

Tiger let out a cry of protest. Gia shook her head.

"This sucks just as much for me as it does for you," she said. She clipped the leash on Tiger's collar and then nodded to her teammates to tell them she was ready. Troy finished securing Ryan in her stroller. He made sure she had LT and a blanket with her and then double checked the diaper bag had everything he would need for the day and more – just to be on the safe side.

"Alright, we're good to go. Hopefully we're not gone too long."

"I still can't believe Tensou took off," Jake said. "I mean... where would he even _want_ to go?"

"We don't know," Troy stated. "But that's why we've got to look. We'll see if he made the news, if not... we might be in for a long, long search."

"He could be anywhere," Emma muttered. "I get the feeling this won't be easy."


	10. Silver Hills

The Rangers landed in Silver Hills. Without much power on the ship to keep it anchored over Harwood City, the large Zord had strayed during the night. It made it harder to locate Tensou, as he could have wondered off at any point over the night, but the Rangers could only start with where they were currently positioned.

Tensou was a robot. He couldn't exactly blend in. If someone saw him, they were sure to report him, especially in this time of war. However, Tensou had not made the news. There were no articles or stories about a weird little robot roaming around town. It made the Ranger's job of finding him a lot more difficult.

They were left with no choice but to split up. Silver Hills was far from Harwood County and the Rangers didn't have the luxury of time on their side. At any moment, Vrak or Vekar could figure out their absence and take advantage to attack the city. And without the power restored on the ship, a lot of the Ranger tech was also down. They could morph and summon their weapons, but that was about it.

Rebecca and Emma took the western part of the city. They were to do all they could to find the little robot without making themselves stand out. Emma, especially, was known in this city to be Princess Emma and was wanted for treason and murder. Anyone who recognised her could easily turn her in. Fortunately, by sticking close to Rebecca, everyone was most likely to notice the blind girl over the one helping her to navigate. It took a little pressure off Emma, but she still needed to be cautious.

In the northern part of the city, Troy had taken Ryan for a walk. It wasn't ideal for him to be on his own with the baby, but he didn't think he would draw a lot of attention to himself. People noticed him just enough to smile at how sweet it was to see a teenage boy caring for a young girl, but not enough to assume he was a Ranger, that he was supposed to be dead, or that he was a mission to find his missing robot friend.

On the opposite end of town, Orion and Noah were working together. They searched high and low for the missing Tensou. Orion didn't have to worry much about being spotted. No one on Earth knew who he was. Noah had to keep a low profile, but had been doing that for most of his life anyways. He never liked to be the center of attention and preferred to let his work speak for him. Fortunately, no one seemed to care too much about the two boys walking around. They were all too busy with their own business.

In the east, Jake and Gia were doing their best to blend in. No one was able to recognize them. It didn't seem news of any of the Rangers' deaths had really spread as far out as Silver Hills. However, there was no being too careful. Tiger, though, was the biggest concern. While her costume covered up most of her black and orange striped fur, she was still much too big to be an ordinary cat and the fact that she was being walked on a leash did attract some stares. Fortunately, most people seemed to leave it alone.

"What's so special about Silver Hills, again?" Jake asked while Gia quickly glanced down an alleyway for any sign of Tensou. When it didn't look like there was anywhere for him to hide, she continued to walk down the sidewalk with Jake and Tiger.

"Noah said it was home to the Time Force Rangers."

"Time Force," Jake said with a little smile, "The Rangers from the future, right?"

"You have been studying Ranger history," Gia smirked. Jake shrugged his shoulders.

"When you aren't talking to me I get kind of bored," he answered.

"Maybe we should break up more often. It smartens you up."

"Please don't," Jake begged her. "I've learned enough in these last few days. Trust me."

"Alright then, smart guy. Why don't you tell me a little more about Time Force? If you've learned so much."

"Oh... um... Well, they are Rangers from the future."

"Yeah."

"Um... they came back in time to... um... fight monsters."

"Seriously? You don't even know what type of monsters?"

"My brain doesn't remember everything like yours," Jake rolled his eyes. "Alright, miss knows-it-all. Why don't you tell me about Time Force?"

"They were Rangers from the year three thousand. They were law enforcement officers from the Time Force organization that chased down criminals from the future to prevent changes being made in the past. Which, as we know, would..."

"Um... screw up the future?"

"Good job," Gia smiled and pet Jake's head. He crossed his arms and frowned.

"If you're going to treat me like a puppy in training, at least reward me with treats," he said and then pointed to the ice-cream shop on the corner. Gia shook her head.

"We've got a robot to find."

"Looking makes me hungry," Jake said. Gia sighed and then gestured to Jake that it was okay to stop for a snack. He checked his bag for his wallet but then remembered he had forgotten to take it when he left the ship. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Um... can I borrow five bucks?"

"Seriously?"

"I'll pay you back."

"You still own me ten bucks from the last time you forgot your wallet," Gia told him, but still reached into her bag to give him the money. Jake thanked her with a kiss on the cheek and ran off to buy himself a cone while Gia took a rest on a bus bench. She sat down next to a man who was working on his phone. Just as she was comfortable, the man shifted and very subtly pointed to Tiger.

"It's shameful to dress up animals," he said. "You realize you're humiliating your pet, right?"

Gia frowned when she heard the comment and turned to the man. He was dressed up in uniform and looked like he belonged to some kind of army. She didn't recognize his uniform right away, but then remembered some of the flyers she had seen posted on the wall of the library. The Rangers had gone there to get access to a computer. Without power on the ship, they couldn't check the latest headlines to see if Tensou had been spotted.

The man's uniform was similar to the one of the Silver Guardians. They were an organisation that, at one time, had protected the wealthy from the mutants that had attacked the city. Eventually, they shifted their policy and started to defend the entire city, completely free of charge, against crimes. They were, in Gia's eyes, an over glorified police force.

"Just like with babies, people don't like being told how to raise their pets," Gia told the Silver Guardian. "You have no idea why I've decided to dress up my cat."

"You've dressed her up as a Power Ranger. My guess is you're a fan."

"Something like that," Gia nodded.

"You're projecting your fantasy of being a Ranger onto your pet."

"You think I fantasize about being a Ranger?" Gia scoffed. The Silver Guardian shrugged his shoulders.

"If the shoe fits. Although, you know what's most humiliating about your cat's costume?"

"I'll bet you'll tell me."

"The team you choose. Pirates? Seriously? Are those Rangers all six?"

"And what's wrong with the Pirate theme?" Gia asked him, turning to face him. She saw the man had a confident, arrogant smirk on his lips. It was very similar to the one she wore whenever she was teasing Jordan. The only difference was, whenever she teased Jordan, it was fun.

This guy was just being an asshole for the hell of it.

"Like I said, pirates are for pussies."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I've dressed up my _cat_," Gia retorted. The man chuckled.

"Touché. Still, those new guys are... well, at least they get the job done. If you want a real Ranger team to root for, our team's the way to go."

"You mean the Time Force Rangers?"

"So you do know about them? I figured you'd have still been in diapers when they were around."

"Actually, I had just turned four the first time I heard about them," Gia said. "It was a chilly day, but I didn't mind. My parents had promised to take my best friend and me sledding."

"You remember all that?"

"I remember a lot," Gia nodded. "Though, I don't ever remember Time Force Rangers being as great as you claim them to be. They were good, but great... probably not. Not to mention, the Megaforce Rangers have the power to turn into any team of their choosing. They have all the powers of every former..."

"Because they need it," the man chuckled condescendingly. "You may be smart, kid, but you've still got a lot to learn when it comes to being a Ranger."

At that moment, a car pulled up on the side of the road. The window rolled down and another man, dressed in a similar Silver Guardian uniform, leaned over.

"Eric, you coming?"

"I've got to go," the man, Eric, said to Gia. He stood up, opened the passenger door and then he turned back to Gia. He still wore that smirk that, for some reason, made Gia dislike him more than she should have. "I'll be at HQ. Stop by if you ever want to hear what a real Ranger team sounds like."

Gia clenched her teeth as she watched the man drive off with his co-worker. Tiger rubbed against her legs to try and calm her while Jake took the seat next to her, completely obviously to everything as he ate his ice-cream.

"Well, Tensou wasn't by the ice-cream stand," he said. "Maybe he got hungry though. I hear there's an excellent hot dog stand just down the street."

"You're eating. How can you possibly be thinking about food?" Gia asked him. Jake shrugged.

"Hollow leg. That's what mom always used to say."

"You forgot, Tensou doesn't eat."

"Maybe he's curious?"

Gia shook her head. "Let's keep looking."


	11. The Lunch Run In

_Author's Note: Anyone interested in a deleted scene? Usual rules apply._

* * *

><p>After half a day of searching, the Rangers regrouped in downtown Silver Hills. Despite his ice cream cone and a stop for a hot-dog, Jake insisted everyone meet for a late lunch. The Rangers sat down on the patio to discuss their findings, or lack thereof, as they waited for their meals to arrive.<p>

"There's no sign of him," Noah shook his head. "Orion and I checked everywhere. We thought we found him at one point, but it turns out it was just a guy's suitcase."

"You confused Tensou for a suitcase?" Troy asked.

"It looked just like him," Orion stated then shrugged his shoulders. "Other than that, there's no sign of him."

"We thought we bumped into him at one point," Emma said as she pointed to Rebecca.

"Turns out, I was just feeling up a kid's science project," Rebecca sighed. She dropped her head on the table, "Dolphin senses fail."

"You can't win them all," Emma said as she reassuring rubbed Rebecca's back. At the same time, she looked to her teammates and mouthed to them _"It was hilarious."_

"Ryan and I didn't see anything," Troy stated. He turned to his sister who, in her high chair, was enthusiastically colouring the children's menu the waiter had provided for her. "Wherever Tensou went, it's not around here."

"We didn't see anything," Jake shook his head.

"Maybe if you searched places that didn't just sell food," Gia commented as she lightly poked him in the stomach. Jake shrugged.

"What? It's a hungry day today."

"What if someone took him?" Noah suggested. In return, he got a lot of dark looks from around the table. He sighed, "I don't hope for it, but there's got to be a reason no one's seen him? I mean, a three foot animated robot is loose in the city and no one notices?"

"What could they want with Tensou, though?" Rebecca asked. Noah turned to her and cocked an eyebrow.

"He's the brains behind our newest suits and weapons. He's got all our data stored inside him. If Vrak or Vekar got their hands on him, we're essentially powerless."

Rebecca gulped, "Sometimes, I'm glad I'm not a Ranger."

"You're doomed too," Gia pointed out to her.

"Dammit," Rebecca dropped her head on the table again.

The waiter arrived with their food. As plates were passed around the table, Gia couldn't help but notice new arrivals to the restaurant patio. She recognized them both instantly from her encounter near the ice-cream stand. It was Eric and his friend, the two Silver Guardians, with Eric being the one who had rubbed her the wrong way about Tiger and her own team.

Eric still had his phone with him, but hadn't shut it down before he tucked it under his arm on his way to the table. Gia caught a quick glimpse of the article he was reading and couldn't help but notice the picture of her team in the corner.

She excused herself from her table and made her way over to Eric. She didn't care that she was being rude by interrupting his lunch. He had irritated her. The least she could do was return the favour.

"Where's she going?" Orion asked when Gia got up. Jake shrugged his shoulders then rubbed his hands as he looked down at the burger before him.

"Who knows? I'm starving. Let's eat!"

Gia, seeing an empty space at Eric and his friend's table, pulled up a chair and joined them. She sat down right beside Eric and snatched the phone from his hand.

"Hey!"

She swiped the screen and it unlocked right away. She held up the phone and shook her head.

"Silver Guardian, huh? You'd think you'd have your phone locked."

"People generally know not to invade my privacy," Eric said. He reached for his phone but Gia pulled it away and began reading the article out loud.

"Megaforce Rangers: Harwood's Mega Heroes. Top ten reasons why the newest team of Rangers is the greatest of all time."

"You're that kid from this morning," Eric said. Gia continued reading.

"Number one: They can morph into every team that has ever come before them on the face of the planet, as well as other teams the world has never seen before. Thanks to this, they have every single power and weapon you can think of. Number two: They're on their second round. Rumour has it, the pirate Rangers are the _same_ team of heroes that fought last year against the large, alien insects. If this is true, their new suits are upgraded, potentially making them the strongest and best team ever seen."

"The article is extremely biased," Eric shook his head. He finally snatched his phone back and put it in his pocket. "The writer is from Harwood County, where the newest team originates. Obviously he's picked favourites."

"Still, you're reading up on it. That's got to mean you're curious."

"Um, Eric, who's your friend?" the other man, Eric's co-worker by Gia's guess, asked. Eric sighed loudly.

"I don't know. She's just this annoying kid who likes to dress up her cats and bug me."

"Well, that second part's not hard to do," the other man chuckled. He offered Gia his hand, "I'm Wes."

"Gia. And for the record, I've only got one cat," Gia said. She turned back to Eric, "And I don't enjoy dressing her up. Sometimes, I just have to."

"What possible reason do you have for dressing up your cat? Unless you've got a death wish."

"I used to. Then I decided I preferred living. I can die when I'm dead."

"Sounds like you two get along," Wes said with a smirk as he looked to Eric.

"I barely get along with you," Eric rolled his eyes. At the same time, the waiter walked by. Wed tried to flag him down.

"I can get you a menu. If you're going to bug Eric here, I've got to treat you to lunch."

"Thanks, but I'm here with my friends and we can't stay long," Gia said and gestured to her table. "Another friend of ours took off and we have to look for him before anything happens."

"Missing person?" Wes asked. Eric immediately looked to his partner and started to shake his head, but Wes ignored it. "Well, it's been pretty slow lately. Why don't you swing by our office after lunch at the Silver Guardian's HQ? We can help you look for your friend."

"Um, thanks, but it's actually kind of complicated..."

"Hey, whatever happened, we can find your friend. Trust us to get the job done."

"It's just..."

"Hey, we know the city inside and out. If your friend is around here, we'll find him," Wes said. He offered Gia his business card. "I'm serious. We work for free. What have you got to lose?"

Gia looked at the business card and something told her it was a good idea to accept Wes' help. He seemed like a nice guy, and while Eric did rub her the wrong way, she enjoyed getting the chance to bug him. The Rangers hadn't been able to cover every inch of Silver Hills just yet and getting help from the law enforcement was bound to be a big help.

"Okay, here's the thing," Gia leaned in a little closer, "Our friend's name is Tensou, as in Techno... uh, Technologically Engineered Naturalistic Sentient Operational Unit. He's a robot my friend Noah is working on. He's the guy in the blue shirt and glasses," Gia pointed over to her table to show the two men and then looked back at them. "Noah's a bit of a genius."

"Wait, your friend built a robot?" Wes asked. Gia nodded her head.

"Kind of. He was working on it when something went wrong in the programming. The robot, Tensou, as Noah insists we call him took off and we've spent the better part of today trying to find him."

"Your genius couldn't install a GPS?" Eric raised an eyebrow. Gia shook her head.

"Like I said, he was working on it. Look, I promise, Tensou's not a threat but we need to find him, fast. His programming a little off and we don't know what could happen to him. Especially if someone else finds him first."

"We can help with that," Wes assured her. "Stop by HQ after lunch. We'll see what we can find."

"Really? Thank you," Gia smiled. She shook Wes' hand once more before getting up from her seat. She turned to Eric who seemed somewhat annoyed by her, but at the same time he already looked like he was pondering ways to track down Tensou. Gia wasn't completely sure she could trust the two Silver Guardians, but they seemed genuine, and she was sure they had bought her cover story.

She sat back down at her table and placed Wes' business card down. Before she said anything about it, she looked directly at Noah.

"You're the captain of all nerds."

"You're the queen of mean," Noah responded. He sounded a little offended, despite generally taking pride in being the team nerd. Gia shook her head. She pointed to the card.

"Those guys I was talking to are Silver Guardians. They're going to help us find Tensou, but as far as they know, he's one of your whack job creations that malfunctioned and is now somewhere out in the city."

"And they bought that?" Troy asked. Gia nodded her head.

"I was convincing. Besides, Noah is pretty smart. You can act the part of Tensou's maker, can't you?"

"I know enough about his systems," Noah answered. Rebecca started to smirk.

"That's kind of hot. My boyfriend actually built a real working robot."

"Uh, Becca, I didn't actually..."

"Shh," Rebecca put her hands on his lips.

Troy rolled his eyes at his sister as he reached for the business card Gia set down. He read off the names out loud.

"Wesley Collins and Eric Meyers? Those names sound familiar."

"Oh! Time Force!" Jake slapped his hand down on the table with excitement. He turned to Gia. "Two of the Time Force Rangers! The only two not from the future. See, told you I've been studying."

"Wait, they're Rangers?" Emma asked, leaning into the table as she lowered her voice. She didn't want anyone accidentally overhearing her.

"Rangers?" Gia snatched the card from Troy and read it again. She took a minute to think about the names and finally it dawned on her why they seemed so trustworthy. She could remember reading about them on the Ranger database. Wesley, or Wes as he had called himself, had been the red Time Force Ranger while Eric had been the Quantum. And if they were both Rangers, that meant they could be trusted for a mission like this one.

Gia smirked. She leaned back in her seat, "Looks like I'm getting better at judging people."

"Nice catch, Gia," Troy smiled. Jake frowned and waved his hand in the air.

"Um, hello. I'm the one who figured it out. Me. Jake. I actually studied!"

"How funny is that," Noah chuckled. "Of all the people we could run into, you find the only two people in the city who are former Rangers."

"Um, we had no idea about that until I pointed it out," Jake said again.

"Does this mean I get more Ranger toys for my collection?" Rebecca perked up. "Do you think they have a set to give me? Can we stop at the toy store if they don't? After we find Tensou, of course, but I've got to get the six Time Force Rangers before we go."

"Do I not get any credit for this?" Jake huffed. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. He noticed Ryan was the only one paying attention to him. He looked to the little girl, "See, studying doesn't get you anywhere, kid. Don't waste your time."

"Tiger!" Ryan clapped her hands, picked up her picture and then threw it aside. Jake caught it and took a look. It was just the kid's menu colored in purple scribbles. It was in no way a tiger, but he smiled and nodded his head.

"Good job, kid. Here's the other side. Why don't you colour in green this time?" he handed her the green crayon and Ryan went crazy.


	12. Undercover Work

After finding the Headquarters for the Silver Guardians, the Rangers walked inside the building and were in awe by what they saw. Noah had filled them in on some of the details of what the Silver Guardians were on their way over, but the way he had explained it, the Rangers were expecting something along the lines of an average police station office building fusion.

Instead, what they stumbled into was a highly upgraded technologically advanced law enforcement center. The only part of the building that didn't seem to rely on high end technology was the receptionist at the front. Aside from her, everything seemed to work just like a machine.

Noah's eyes were wide as he looked around. He couldn't believe what he was seeing and made his way over to the computer by the reception desk. He touched the screen to activate it and followed the instructions. Rebecca followed him and frowned deeply when she had no idea what he was doing.

"You can automatically submit a complaint," Noah told her. "I'm not actually writing one up, but you put in the time, the details and it'll transfer it to the department best suited to help you. This is amazing!"

"Not if you're blind, it's not," Rebecca shook her head. "Touch screens are useless for me."

Noah took her hand and placed it on the wall just next to the screen. Rebecca tilted her head.

"Bumps?"

"Braille," Noah said. "If you're going to be blind, you should learn to read it. It'll help you out."

"What does it say?"

"I don't read it, but," Noah glanced at the sign just below the Braille and right above a button, "push here for assistance. If it's written for you, it's probably for you."

"Can I push it?" Rebecca didn't wait for an answer though and pressed the button. She jumped when the computer started speaking.

"_Please speak your complaint and the appropriate officer will be with you shortly to discuss the best course of action."_

"Whoa! It talks!" Rebecca turned to Noah with a smile, "Okay, I like that. Though I would rather deal with people."

"I love this," Noah shook his head. "This is my dream. Everything's automated; everything works like a well oiled machine. It's just so efficient it's brilliant."

"We don't know how efficient it is yet," Troy said as he walked over. "But this place is pretty impressive."

By the reception, Gia took the lead and walked up to the lady working the desk. She put down the business card Wes had given her and told the woman she wanted to see him.

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Collins is very busy. Unless this is an emergency..."

"He told us to stop by," Gia said. "We've got a problem and we need his help."

"Unfortunately, miss, we've got an entire city to look after and we don't have the time or resources for Mr. Collins to waste his time with little..."

"Linda, that's alright," Wes said as he stepped out of the elevator. "Eric and I invited them. Come on, everyone. Let's head up to my office."

The Rangers shuffled into the elevator with Wes. It was a little crowded, likely because the elevator was never really expected to carry so many people, a stroller, and a growing tiger at one time, but they made it up. When they stepped into Wes' office, the awe didn't wear off.

"This is like Noah's dream room," Jake commented as he looked around. "Dude, you seriously work here?"

"I could die here," Noah whispered. He didn't know what to look at first. The computer, the control panel on the wall or any of the multiple decors that made the room look like something from the future.

Wes chuckled as he nodded, "I kind of like the future vibe," he said. "It's homey, I guess you can say."

"Looks like something straight out of the Jetsons," Emma said. "Man, Jordan's going to be so jealous when he finds out."

"Ooh, take pictures then," Gia nudged her. Emma rolled her eyes.

"You promise not to rub this in his face."

"No."

"I... never mind," Emma sighed. She looked to Wes as she held up her camera, "Um, do you mind? My fiancé wants to be a cop and would love to see this."

"It's like right out of a crime show," Jake said. He turned to Wes, "Seriously, how can you afford all this?"

"I can," Wes said with a little laugh. He sat down at his desk and turned his computer screen so the Rangers could all see what he was working on. "I hope you don't mind, but after our little run in at lunch I couldn't help but do a little digging on each of you."

"Digging?" Troy asked and the Rangers all grew nervous. Outside of Harwood, it wasn't really common knowledge that he and his friends had faked their deaths but a quick internet search was likely all it would take for the reports and newspaper articles to come up. The only thing that kept the Rangers from being over the top worried was that they already knew Wes was a former Ranger.

"From security footage at the restaurant, I got your pictures and ran each of your faces through the facial recognition software. Now, I don't mean to scare any of you, but I've found something... interesting."

The Rangers looked around at each other. They knew Wes was a former Ranger, but he didn't know they were the current team and likely had no reason to believe it.

"Um... can we explain?"

"Cases usually go a lot faster when we're telling the truth," Wes nodded his head. "Though, can I assume you've kept up the tradition of colour coordinating your wardrobe with your spandex or are you the first guys to really mix it up?"

"Huh?" the Rangers all asked. Wes chuckled.

"Relax, you guys. I was curious about the deaths, the Princess Emma, and the fact that you guys are looking for a robot, so I called Tommy for a favour. He explained everything. Don't worry. Eric and I are only too happy to help."

"Help with what?" Eric asked as he stepped out of the elevator. In his hands, he had a box of a dozen donuts. He walked over to the second desk in the room, sat down, and then took a donut for himself. He glanced at the Rangers, but Gia specifically. "I just can't shake you, can I?"

"Not today," Gia answered. She turned back to Wes, but not before she saw Jake eyeing the donuts hungrily. She smacked him in the stomach, "You're not going to fit in your spandex after today, you know."

"Sorry, I'm just... still hungry," Jake pat his stomach and then tried to subtly glance at the donuts again. Eric caught him though and smirked.

"Oh, these?" he pointed to the box. "There's a shop just across the street that sells them. A dozen for ten bucks. You should check it out."

"Eric," Wes shook his head. Eric frowned.

"Hey, I picked them up."

"You're not eating a dozen donuts by yourself."

"Fine," Eric pushed the box forward on his desk, "Help yourself."

Jake smiled and reached for the chocolate donut. Eric shook his head.

"Not that one."

Jake reached for another donut.

"Or that one."

Jake went for another.

"That's my wife's favourite."

"Just take one," Wes assured Jake. "Eric's just being a hard ass. Today's not one of his better days."

"My day started with this kid dressing up her pet cat and telling me she believed the newbie Rangers are actually a competent team."

"I said great team," Gia stated. Eric shook his head.

"Don't push it. Then I get to work and find out we've got nothing to do all day. Then you drag me out to that shit hole for lunch, where I run into the kitty dresser again."

"You know, I have a name."

"We all do," Eric shrugged her off. Gia knew he was just doing it to bug her. He seemed to thrive off it. But she was determined to get the last laugh. So, while Eric continued to rant about how he had hoped for a more exciting day, Gia unclipped Tiger from her leash and gave her a little nod.

"Just don't hurt him."

Tiger, excited to finally get the chance to run around, was more than happy to do as she was told. She darted across the room and with a loud roar leapt up on Eric's desk and then pounced on him. She knocked him backwards and landed on his chest, teeth bared and growling menacingly.

"What the hell?" Eric cried as he held his hands up. "What kind of freakish cat do you own? I'm pretty damn sure this is illegal."

"It is," Gia nodded. She walked over, lifted Tiger from Eric and then clipped the leash back on. Assuming it was safe for her cub, she took the hat off, exposing Tiger's black and orange striped fur so the men could get a better look.

"A tiger?" Wes asked. Eric shook his head.

"You can't have a tiger! And you certainly can't bring one in here!"

"I can do whatever I want," Gia said, smirking slightly because she knew she had somewhat irritated Eric with Tiger's surprise attack. "I have the tiger."

"Gia's our captain," Rebecca said to Wes. So far, she got the sense he was the friendlier one of the two Silver Guardians. "And whereas most pirate captains have pet parrots, ours has a pet tiger."

"Impressive," Wes nodded his head. "Just, be sure she doesn't hurt anyone and I think we can let this one slide. Besides, I think we've got something more important to worry about."

"What's that?" Rebecca asked and then slapped her hand to her forehead, "Oh, right. Tensou's missing."

Wes nodded his head, "So, we're all Rangers here. We don't need cover stories. Let's just be honest about what happened."

"Uh, see, that's still not exactly easy," Troy said with a little shake of his head. "Tensou's always on the Sky Ship. He's never left. He's never had to. But this morning, we woke up and he was gone."

"Our ship was caught in the middle of a pretty big storm," Orion explained. "It knocked out our power, and we were waiting for Tensou to fix it, but this morning everything was still out and only Tensou knows how to get it back on."

"Not to mention, without power, we can't figure out what happened to him, where he went, or even at what time he left the ship," Noah said. "And without power, our ship didn't stay anchored over Harwood like it's supposed to. It drifted here. Tensou could be anywhere by now."

"Well, we can search the city," Wes said. "We can't go beyond, but if it's to help out the current team of Rangers, it's the least we can do. Eric, why don't you..."

"Already on it," Eric said. He got up, put his chair back upright and then started to type away at his computer. In just a few moments the Rangers heard a ding and Eric turned the computer around, "Is this who you're looking for? Wall-E 2.0?"

"That's him," Orion confirmed when he saw the picture. Eric inhaled sharply through his teeth and shook his head. He turned to Wes.

"Fresno Bob."

"Who?" Troy asked. Wes, on his computer, pulled up the details on the man named Fresno Bob.

"He's been a huge problem in Silver Hills for a few years now. He'll do anything to make a quick buck. Lie, cheat, steal; you name it, he'll do it."

"What does a criminal like that want with Tensou?" Troy asked. Gia shook her head.

"More like how did Tensou end up with this guy?"

"Your little robot friend is screwed," Eric said. He closed down all his files, leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk. "We've been trying to get Fresno Bob for years now. So far, we've got nothing."

"He's the best in the business," Wes nodded his head. "If we're going to get your friend back, we're really going to have to step up our game."

"Wes," Eric leaned forward slightly and looked his partner in the eye, "We can't get past Fresno Bob. No one can. He knows all our men. I wouldn't even be surprised if some of his guys were working here."

"None of his men work here," Wes assured him. Eric shook his head.

"Hey, you do the background checks. I'm just saying, if you were to send someone in, even undercover, Fresno Bob would sniff him out."

"We can't just give up on Tensou," Rebecca said. "He's our little robot. Our friend. He's always there when we need him."

"Not to mention, we need all our systems back online before the Armada or Vrak decided to attack again. Without Tensou, we're practically sitting ducks."

"And you're trying to tell me your team of rainbow Pirates is seriously better than Time Force?" Eric scoffed as he turned to Gia. She leaned forward on his desk.

"What do I need to know about Fresno Bob?"

"Are you offering yourself?" Eric raised an eyebrow. Jake immediately grabbed Gia by the arm and pulled her back.

"Um, remember how, you know, you used to do stupid stuff all the time that scared us?"

"Yeah."

"Going undercover is a stupid thing. Gia, you have no idea what this Bob guy is like. One wrong move and..."

"He's a common criminal," Gia shrugged her shoulders. "I'm a Power Ranger. If anything goes wrong..."

"What about your habit of losing your morpher?"

"Wrist morphers," Eric smirked, showing the Megaforce Rangers his Quantum Morpher. He set it down on his desk. "Hard to lose these."

"You need one of these," Emma stated to Gia as she picked up the Quantum Morpher to get a better look. Gia, meanwhile, kept her attention on Jake.

"Someone needs to go after Tensou..."

"Fine, then we'll go undercover together."

Gia shook her head, "I want you and Emma on the outside. I want to be able to count on you two in case something does happen. I know you've got my back."

"Tigger over here might be able to pull off undercover work," Eric suggested as he pulled up the file he had on Fresno Bob. "Fresno Bob is the leader of what is known as the Scorpion Cartel. Right now, there aren't too many people working for him, but it looks like that's changing. He's picking up kids on the street, probably about your age, with nothing really going for them in life."

"Should I be insulted?" Gia turned to Eric. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Only if the shoe fits. But if you're as bad ass as owning a tiger might lead people to believe you are, Fresno Bob might just choose you himself as a candidate."

"Wait, he picks up troubled kids?" Rebecca asked and then slowly raised her hand, "Well, if Gia needs a partner..."

"No," Troy and Noah both shook their heads while Noah grabbed Rebecca's hand and lowered it.

"Guys, come on," Rebecca said. "You can't deny that if I had been living in Silver Hills like, a year ago, I would have been the perfect person for Fresno Bob to pick up. I can be the old me again. I..."

"This guy's a criminal, Rebecca," Troy grabbed her arms softly and looked at her. "If something goes wrong..."

"Gia and I are an awesome team," Rebecca insisted. "And you guys will have our backs here. We play the part until we find out where he's taken Tensou and what he wants with him and then bam, we get him back."

"And what if that doesn't work?" Noah asked. "Rebecca, one little slip and..."

"I won't slip up," Rebecca promised. "Come on, you guys. I can do it. We can do it."

"We have the surveillance," Wes assured the Rangers. "Of course, we don't have cameras in Fresno Bob's hideout, but we've got them everywhere else. We can rig you two with a camera and an earpiece and..."

"No, this doesn't ever go over well," Jake said. "Seriously, we're Rangers. We can just go in there and demand this asshole give us our Tensou back..."

"Jake, we're not about using unnecessary force," Troy reminded him. "Besides, without Tensou, we don't know how much power we have."

"Yeah, what if we power down in the middle of the city?" Emma asked. Jake turned to her with a look of shock on his face.

"You agree with this? You know what Gia's suggesting, right?"

"Someone's got to go in," Emma nodded her head. "And as much as I hate it, if someone's going to be able to blend in as a criminal, Gia and Rebecca fit the bill. They stand the best chance of getting in and out undetected."

"Besides, we'll be right here keeping an eye on them," Orion assured Jake. He put his arm around Jake's shoulders. "Fresno Bob doesn't know us either. Once everything's in place, we can be in the city."

"That is a good idea," Wes nodded. "Our officers can't blend in. But the seven of you can."

"So, who's watching the carnivore?" Eric asked as he pointed to Tiger. "You going to take him with you on this mission, because he sure as hell can't stay on the streets, and he's not staying here."

"Tiger's a girl," Gia answered. "And who says I'd even trust her with you?"

"We'll keep an eye on her," Wes promised Gia. Eric looked mildly annoyed but didn't say anything about it. "I can tell you all you need to know about Fresno Bob, but you're really going to have to pay attention. One slip up and our whole cover can be blown."

"We can do it, right Becca?" Gia turned to the younger girl with a smile. Rebecca nodded excitedly.

"Not that I want to go back to a life of bad decisions, but I have kind of missed the thrill," Rebecca said. "Should be awesome!"

"Awesome is not the word I want to hear," Troy dropped his head and sighed.

Meanwhile, over near Eric's desk, Tiger knew the two new men had been left in charge of her safety and wanted to get a better idea of who they were. One seemed quite friendly already, but the one she had pounced seemed to have a knack for pissing off her mistress. She wanted to be sure he wasn't a threat.

She approached him from under his desk and started to sniff his legs. Eric hadn't realized she was there and jumped, kicking her slightly by accidently. Tiger growled and without using her claws, swiped at his leg.

Eric looked under his desk and frowned when he saw the large cub.

"My Q-Rex could eat you for a snack."


	13. The Florist

Jake couldn't stop his heart beating a thousand miles a minute. He trusted Gia. He knew she was strong and she had smartened up a lot recently in regards to her own safety. He had no reason to doubt she was doing all she could to keep herself safe. However, he always hated to watch her from the sidelines. He hated knowing she was in danger and that there was nothing or little he could do to help her.

"Gia, touch your nose if you can hear me," Wes said into his headset. It was connected wireless to the chip in both Gia and Rebecca's ears and transmit sound both ways. It was risky for Gia to be wearing an earpiece, as they were easy to spot, but Wes had given her one that looked more like a hearing aid than a Bluetooth. As long as she kept Fresno Bob and his crew until the pretense that she was hearing impaired, the ear piece shouldn't have been a problem.

Rebecca, on her end, was wearing dark glasses. It suited her well, as she was actually blind. Inside the glasses was a little camera. It allowed Wes and everyone else to see exactly what Rebecca could have been seeing. On top of the glasses camera, Wes had tapped into the cameras around town. Right now, he was watching both the girls from a traffic camera across the street from where they were sitting around and waiting for Fresno Bob to find them.

Gia touched her nose quickly so Wes knew she could hear him. Then he asked Rebecca to brush her hair behind her ear. When Rebecca did so, the Rangers knew everything was working like planned.

"Fresno Bob always comes this way just before rush hour. He stops at the floral shop just across the street to pick up one rose every day. You know what to do."

"How can you be okay with this?" Jake asked Emma. He chewed on his thumbnail to contain his nerves, though it wasn't working much. "Seriously. What if something happens?"

"I'm worried too," Emma nodded. "But I've talked to Serena lately and..."

"You talk to Serena too?"

"From time to time," Emma said. She looked to Jake with the smile, "Now that Gia's a lot more confident on her own, we have to show her we trust and believe in her."

"You guys do always try to hold her back," Orion commented as he inserted himself in the conversation. Nothing was happening on the cameras and he knew his friends were worried about Gia. He was too, but he had every faith she knew what she was doing. "It's honourable, but she doesn't need it anymore. She knows what she's doing. This is her chance to prove to you guys she's taken everything you said to heart."

"I know, I know," Jake nodded his head and rubbed his arm nervously. "It's just... why does she have to do it? If anything happened to her..."

"It'd be risky for anyone," Orion said. "Though, to be honest, Gia has the best chance out there. She's most likely to fight to come home than any of us."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

Orion smiled, "She's got more to come home to. More people waiting for her, caring for her, wanting her safe. She'll keep her head on straight for us all, I'm positive."

"Gia's good," Jake nodded his head. "I just can't help but worry. I don't want to see anything else happen to her."

"She'll be fine," Orion assured him and just for comfort, gave Jake a big, tight hug. Jake didn't mind how close Orion got. He needed the reassurance.

"I see him," Wes said. "He's pulling up on the side of the road right now."

"Traffic violation. He can't park there," Eric commented. Wes shook his head.

"Shut up, Eric. If this goes well, we'll get him for a lot more than a parking ticket."

"Whatever," Eric rolled his eyes. He spoke into his own headset, "Alright, Kitty-Kat, now's your chance to prove you really are a tiger. Get in there and show Fresno Bob he needs to have you in his cartel."

On screen, Gia subtly nodded her head and then tapped Rebecca's arm for her to follow.

At the floral shop, Gia felt her heart racing. The plan was to steal from the shop. The Silver Guardians had already arranged to cover any expense with the owner, but the employee working had no idea what was going on. For the sake of realism, it needed to be that way. Gia spotted Fresno Bob walking to the roses while she browsed through the aisles of flowers. She made sure Fresno Bob was watching as she picked up a rather expensive arrangement.

"Excuse me," Rebecca's job was to be the semi-distraction. She walked up to the employee working and pointed to her dark glasses, "Can I get a little help here?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Flowers," Rebecca answered, making sure to give a bit of an attitude. Gia was the one pulling off the steal, but Rebecca also needed to get Fresno Bob's attention, and she wouldn't do that by playing nice. "I may be blind, but I know I've stepped into a floral shop. What? Did you think I was looking for soaps?"

"I... Well..."

"I want flowers. All the nicest ones you've got."

"Anything in particular? A theme, perhaps? We've got some lovely purple arrange..."

"Are you serious?" Rebecca scoffed and rolled her eyes, thought with her glasses she doubted the employee could see it. "Purple? Do you think I fucking like purple? Is this a joke?"

"I... Uh, well it's just..."

"I don't give a damn what colour the flowers are! Purple, yellow, red, blue, I don't care! I asked you for some flowers. Now do your job."

"Um, yes. Right away," the employee nodded his head and quickly started to get to work. As he did, he bumped into Fresno Bob, who was watching Rebecca with interest. Fresno Bob walked up to the counter where Rebecca was waiting and stood next to her.

"Takes guts to stand up for yourself like that," he said. Rebecca shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not going to let some pansy push me around. I know what I want and I'm going to get it."

"I'm very much the same," Fresno Bob smirked. He turned slightly to Rebecca. "Life's too short to let other people tell you what you should and shouldn't be doing."

"HEY! Hey! You!" the employee suddenly cried out as Gia started to walk towards the door with the arrangement in hand. He dropped the bouquet he was collecting for Rebecca to go after her. "Miss, you need to pay for that! Miss!"

"_You know what to do, Kitty Kat_," Eric's voice spoke in her ear. Gia nodded her head, held the arrangement in one hand and as the employee tried to grab her, she flipped him over her shoulder. She tried to drop him gently, so as not to hurt him too much. She didn't like that she had to fight, but she needed to show off to Fresno Bob. The Silver Guardians had already agreed to compensate any casualties once the mission was over.

When the employee hit the ground, Gia checked on her arrangement. She hadn't dropped it and none of the water had spilt out of the vase. It was as if nothing happen.

"Come on," Gia said and waved to Rebecca.

"I wish I could stay and chat," Rebecca said to Fresno Bob as she took off after Gia, "But I got what I came for. See you never, losers!"

As Rebecca ran towards the door, the employee was just getting up. Realising that Rebecca was the accomplish to Gia, he tried to stop her but Rebecca slammed him as gently, but also as forcefully as she could.

"I'm really sorry," she whispered softly. "Hopefully you have a better day tomorrow. Ice those bruises. It really helps."

The employee didn't know what surprised him more. The fact that the shop was being robbed on his watch, or the fact that one of the thieves seemed to sincerely be giving him medical advice. Rebecca did take advantage of his confusion to bolt. Only Fresno Bob was left in the shop, with his one rose in hand.

"Just... take it," the employee muttered and waved Fresno Bob off.

"You have poor luck," Fresno Bob stated. "Why don't I just cover..."

"Please, just leave. Take the flower. Take whatever. Just get out."

Fresno Bob nodded his head, put the flower in his jacket pocket and then stepped out of the store. He barely crossed the threshold before the employee locked up the shop and ran to the phone in the back room.

The driver of Fresno Bob's car poked his head out the window, "What happened in there? Did someone get hurt? He's okay, right?"

"Ziggy, my boy, you've got a lot to learn," Fresno Bob said. He climbed into the back seat of the car. "By any chance, did you happen to see which way those two girls went?"

"The ones that stole from that poor florist?" Ziggy glanced at his boss in the rearview mirror. Fresno Bob nodded. "Oh, um... well, I was kind of... I mean, I wasn't paying too much attention to..."

"Ziggy, did you see where they went or not?"

"Kind of?" Ziggy shrugged. "Why?"

"I'd like to talk to them. Find them. Step on it."

Ziggy nodded his head and started the car. He wanted to pull out of his spot but rather than move forward, the car jolted backwards.

"Ziggy! How many times have I told you..."

"I know, I know," Ziggy muttered as he put the car in drive. As he pulled out into traffic, he failed to see the car coming up and had to slam on the breaks to avoid a collision. When he glanced back at Fresno Bob, he saw him rolling his eyes. He smiled nervously, "Heh... You know, in some other dimension, I'm probably like a professional race car driver of something."

"I think, if there are other dimensions, you would be incompetent in all of them," Fresno Bob said. "Now drive! We don't want those girls getting too far away!"

Ziggy nodded. This time he safely pulled out into traffic. As he drove, he muttered under his breath, "Dimensions are real. And I bet you're mean in all of them..."


	14. Recruits

Jake knew he could trust Gia. He knew he could trust the plan. And, he was pretty certain he could trust the Silver Guardians. However, watching the city's biggest and most dangerous thug practically kidnap his girlfriend, and not doing anything to stop it left him feeling sick.

"Guess Fresno Bob doesn't give much of a choice to his recruits," Eric commented from his desk as he, Wes and the Megaforce Rangers watched the feeds on the computer. Thanks to Rebecca's glasses, even when Fresno Bob's car drove away from all the street cameras, they could all see what was going on. So far, aside from the kidnapping, Wes and Eric didn't catch anything else illegal.

That was what made Fresno Bob such a danger. Everyone knew his reputation. Everyone knew what he had done and what he was capable of doing. Unfortunately, he knew how to cover his tracks. He never left fingerprints; he never left any sort of clues that could definitively prove he was responsible for anything that happened.

And he only worked with people he trusted – people he knew were just as good as him at leaving the scene of the crime spotless. However, that meant working for Fresno Bob was a huge gamble. If one of his members made one mistake, like leaving behind even just a single strand of hair, he would cut them.

And he made sure they couldn't talk. Wes and Eric had personally turned up to several dozen murder scenes where it was assumed the person murdered worked for the cartels.

However, just as always, nothing could be proven. Fresno Bob was the only known member of his cartel. No one knew the identity of the people working for him. Eric even had his suspicions that Fresno Bob had a few employees who worked for the Silver Guardians. It was the only explanation he had for how Fresno Bob could be so lucky at getting away with murder.

Literally.

That was why Jake was sick. One mistake could be very costly.

"So far, so good though, right?" Emma asked Eric after his comment. "I mean, this may not be the most graceful way in, but they're in, right? It's what we want?"

Emma was worried too, but not as much as Jake. And if she was, it wasn't showing. Jake couldn't believe how calm she was. Until he saw her hand trembling and noticed she was biting on her lip, hard. She was just as worried, just as scared something horrible would happen.

"It is," Eric nodded. "Just not what we expected. Though if this is how Fresno Bob always does his recruits, we're good."

"What do you mean, if?" Emma asked.

"We don't exactly know what initiation's like," Wes explained. "We don't even know the other members of the cartels. We're playing this part by ear."

"That's why it's crucial for you guys to get as much dirt on this guy as possible," Eric said into his headset so Gia could hear him.

-Megaforce-

In the city, in the trunk of Fresno Bob's car, Gia heard Eric's order but didn't respond. She could hear Fresno Bob speaking to the driver of the car through the trunk and didn't want to risk him hearing her.

After the theft at the florist, Fresno Bob had quickly found the alley where she and Rebecca had run to. Gia had expected him to try and talk her and Rebecca into joining his cartels. Instead, he didn't give her or Rebecca a chance to even ask him who he was. He shot them both with stun guns and while they were out he dragged them into the trunk of his car. Gia had only come to moments before she heard Eric's voice.

"My head," Rebecca groaned, letting Gia know she was awake. There wasn't a lot of room to move around in the trunk, but Gia shifted in closer to her.

"We're fine."

"Fine?" Rebecca grumbled. "I've just been zapped. My head hurts, my heart's racing, I'm... wait! Gia!"

"Shh," Gia whispered and covered Rebecca's mouth with her hand. "I'm fine."

"But your heart! Tensou..."

"Tensou's good," Gia assured her with a whispered. "I guess since Vrak's favourite weapon is the shock collar, Tensou did his magic to protect my heart. It's fine. Do you hear any beeping?"

Rebecca shook her head. Suddenly, the car stopped. The girls heard some doors open and then slam shut. Then, Gia saw light flood the trunk as it opened. Two men pulled her out and two more reached for Rebecca. All of them were wearing masks to cover their faces.

"Damn," Gia heard Eric mutter into her ear through the ear piece.

Gia tried to resist a little bit as the men holding her pulled her over to a chair. She didn't want to make it look like she wanted to be part of the Cartels just yet, despite that being the point of her mission. Certain they had Tensou, the only way to get him back was to be one of them. So she needed to make this as convincing as possible. The men locked her into a chair and did the same with Rebecca.

Then, a boy about her age, came over with two bottles of water. Before he could make it to her, though, Fresno Bob slapped the water from his hand and turned to him.

"Ziggy..."

"I thought they might be thirsty," Ziggy said. "I mean, after the car ride and the... you know... bzz..."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Fresno Bob asked him. "We don't care about anyone but ourselves. They don't get water. We're not going to waste such a valuable resource on two dead girls, are we?"

"Dead?" Rebecca gulped. "What do you mean, dead? I feel alive. I am alive, right?"

"Becca, shut it," Gia growled. She glared at Fresno Bob, "What the hell do you want with us?"

"I saw you back at the florist," Fresno Bob said. "I saw the way you moved. You were a little rough around the edge for sure, but there's a lot of room to grow."

"What's it to you?" Gia asked.

"Raw talent. That's what I want," Fresno Bob smirked. He leaned in closer to Gia, "That's what I need. What if, instead of stealing flowers, you could be stealing from some of the world's biggest banks? What if you had some valuables in your pockets instead of just some petty change?"

"You don't know what's in my pocket," Gia said. "And who says we even want to work with you?"

"You will," Fresno Bob said. "After all, you've already seen too much. Either you agree to riches and a life of luxury or we end it, here, for you and your friend."

"Um, I haven't seen anything," Rebecca shook her head. "I don't know if you've noticed this, but I'm kind of blind."

"That's what makes this perfect!" Fresno Bob smiled. He walked over to Rebecca and put his hands on her shoulders. "You're the perfect thief!"

"I am?" she asked. Fresno Bob gently held her face.

"A sweet, young, beautiful girl like yourself? No one would even suspect it. And blind? They'd have to be a fool to think you'd even be able to pull of something as big as what I have planned for the two of you."

"Um, I'm pretty sure that's discrimination," Rebecca frowned. "I can do anything I've set my mind to."

"Then set your mind to this: I've got big plans for the two of you. Now, do you accept my proposal, or shall we both just part ways?"

Rebecca heard someone shifting behind her and then felt something press against the back of her head. It didn't take her long to figure out someone had a gun to her head and his finger was likely on the trigger.

"Gia?" she asked.

Gia nodded her head, "What else are we going to do? I'm kind of tired of pick pocketing and stealing candy bars anyways. We're in."

"Good," Fresno Bob smirked. He snapped his fingers, and his four men undid the restraints and grabbed Gia and Rebecca once more. They dragged them off to another room and then threw them inside. Before the girls could get to their feet, the door was locked.

"Well, that went..."

"Shh," Gia whispered. "Camera."

Rebecca frowned, "In here?"

"Up in the corner," Gia nodded. "I guess he's not taking our word just yet."

"We'll probably have to prove ourselves first," Rebecca said. "But then how do we...?"

"Shh," Gia said again. "We don't know if they can hear us. We don't want to be saying anything right now. Fresno Bob calls the shots. We just have to hope he knows what he's doing."

Suddenly, the door opened. Fearing she and Rebecca had already said too much, Gia pushed the girl back and readied herself to fight. Instead, it was just the boy from earlier – Fresno Bob's driver. In his hands, he had two water bottles. He offered them and looked a little nervous about doing so.

"Here," he set them on the floor when Gia didn't take them. "Um, and sorry about before. Fresno Bob likes things to move pretty smoothly when we're in public. You never know who's watching."

Rebecca gulped nervously and adjusted her dark glasses. She knew she was dead if Fresno Bob figured her or Gia out.

"Other than that, he's a pretty cool guy," the boy said. "He takes care of us. Me, especially. I don't know what I'd do without him."

"He takes care of people?" Gia asked. "Because I think my arm's still numb from when he shot me."

"That'll wear off," the boy assured her. He offered his hand, "Oh, um, I'm Ziggy."

"Gia," Gia then gestured to Rebecca, "This is Rebecca."

"You'll like it here," Ziggy assured them both. "Just try not to piss Fresno Bob off too much. He's got a bit of a temper when he gets angry."

"Noted," Rebecca said. Just then, another boy appeared in the room. He was also close to the girls' age but he was a lot bigger and looked a lot fiercer than Ziggy did. He also didn't seem willing to help out as much as Ziggy did. When he saw the door to the girls' room was open, with Ziggy inside and two water bottles on the floor, he stormed in.

"What the hell is this?" he shouted. "Ziggy, if we've told you once, we've told you a thousand times: you do not help the recruits!"

"But I was just..."

"Fresno Bob's orders!" he said. He swiped up the water bottles and tossed them outside. Ziggy looked up at him nervously.

"What if this stayed between us, then?" he asked. The other looked down on him with a scowl. Ziggy shrugged, "After all, Gia and Rebecca are the two best recruits we've had in a long time. Maybe even better than you."

The other boy shook his head, "We'll figure out tomorrow in training. That's when we'll really know what Gia and Rebecca are..."

The other boy looked up at the girls as he spoke and trailed off when his eyes fell on Rebecca. Gia and Ziggy both noticed his face soften up. "Wait... Becky?"

"Huh?" Rebecca frowned. "No one's called me that since mom died."

"Beck... Becky, is it really you?" he asked. He took a step closer but Gia didn't move from between him and Rebecca. "Rebecca Daniels?"

"How do you know my name?" Rebecca asked him. The boy took another step closer. Gia move back, pushing Rebecca with her. She didn't want to prove herself to be the better fighter before training, but if it meant keeping Rebecca safe, she would wipe the floor with the boy.

"It's me. It's Joey," he said.

"Joe... Joey!" Rebecca pushed Gia out of the way and jumped into Joey's arms. He caught her in a tight hug and spun her around as Gia picked herself up off the floor.

"What the hell is going on?"

"What are you doing here?" Rebecca asked Joey when he put her down. He shrugged his shoulders and looked to her nervously.

"Uh... well, that's a long story. One I'm not exactly proud of but what about you? How did you get here? What... why are you blind?"

"A long story too," Rebecca said. Then she turned to Gia with a bright smile, "Gia! Gia! This is Joey!"

"Who's Joey?"

"He's... well, at one point he was my Emma!" Rebecca smiled and hugged Joey once more. "We were best friends for three years before he moved with his parents to Africa. I haven't seen him since."

Rebecca then turned on Joey by punching him in the chest, "And you haven't written me a single letter in years."

"Uh... yeah," Joey rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Um, Fresno Bob kinda doesn't believe in letters. Actually, speaking of..."

Joey walked to the door and closed it. Then he hopped on the bed and started to toy around with the camera. When he was done he jumped off the bed.

"I'll adjust it later. Fresno Bob doesn't check them anyways, but just in case."

"He doesn't check his cameras?"

"He doesn't have to. Most recruits don't get past training," Joey stated and then looked to Ziggy, "And you. Not a word to Fresno Bob. If he's coming after me, you can be sure I'll get to you first."

Ziggy nodded and dragged his fingers over his lips to indicate they were sealed. Joey looked back to Rebecca. He grabbed her arms gently.

"You've got to get out of here. Now."

"No, we can't," Rebecca shook her head. "Joey, you don't get it. We want to be here."

"How can you want this?" Joey frowned deeply as he asked her. "Becky, I've been here for three years. I've seen things I can't unsee. I've done things I'm ashamed of."

"So then leave."

"You don't leave Fresno Bob's cartel. Your only way out is in a body bag. Fresno Bob is not afraid to pull the trigger. This isn't the life for you, Rebecca. I don't care what's going on for you. Anything is better than this."

"No, Joey, you don't get it. We need to be here," Rebecca said. "We're... we're on a mission."

"Rebecca, shut up," Gia growled. Rebecca shook her head.

"No, Gia, it's okay. It's Joey. We can trust him."

Gia growled as she grabbed Rebecca by the arm and pulled her away from Joey. She dragged her to the furthest corner of the room, "You may have known him once, but this guy works for Fresno Bob now. We can't trust him."

"No, we can. I know Joey, I..."

"How do you even know it's him?" Gia asked. "You can't see him. You can't..."

"I know it's him the same way I know it's you," Rebecca growled. "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"No, I know, Becca, that wasn't..."

"No one calls me Becky anymore. Only mom and Joey did."

"Becky is a short form of..."

"I know it's him. I know it's Joey and I know we can trust him."

"We can't."

"We can," Rebecca stomped her foot. "Please, Gia, just trust me."

"I can't," Gia shook her head. "There's too much at stake here, Becca. We can't trust anyone but each other. One wrong move and you and I are both dead. We knew that coming in, remember. We have to play it smart."

"But..."

"Don't tell him anything."

"She's right," Joey said as he walked over. "I don't want to know anything. I don't want to know why you're here, what brought you here, or even why you think you need to be here. You're getting out of here."

"No, Joey, we're staying!"

"I can get you out," Joey insisted. "You get out, leave Silver Hills. As long as you don't go to the cops or come back, you'll be fine."

"We came here for a reason, buddy," Gia stepped between Rebecca and Joey and glared at him.

"You came here because Fresno Bob decided you were good recruits."

"And you don't think we knew who we were performing for in that flower shop?" Gia asked. "Trust me, I'm exactly where I want to be. Rebecca and I are both passing our training tomorrow. We're going to be part of this cartel."

Joey looked past Gia at Rebecca and pleaded with her, "Becky, please, you have to listen to me. You don't want to be here. Prison is safer than this place! Your life can't possibly be that bad."

"Joey, I need this," Rebecca told him. "I wish I could tell you everything but..."

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Fresno Bob's voice asking what was going on. Hearing a key go in the lock, Joey suddenly turned. Gia was still standing between him and Rebecca, and he couldn't bring himself to go after his old friend so he grabbed Gia, slammed her into the wall and punched her three times in the stomach. It all happened so quickly Gia couldn't defend herself.

"Gia!" Rebecca cried. She tried to interfere but Joey slapped her cheek and knocked off her glasses. It all happened just as Fresno Bob stepped into the room. Joey threw Gia into Rebecca which knocked them both to the ground and then turned to his boss.

"Just feeling them out," he assured Fresno Bob. "No sense wasting our time if they aren't going to do well."

Fresno Bob nodded his head, "I've got high hopes for these two. Try not to rough them up too much."

Then he turned to Ziggy, "You. That thing is asking for you again. I've got no idea what you did to make it like you so much, but he's driving me crazy. Shut him up, will you?"

Ziggy nodded his head and ran out before anything else could happen. Fresno Bob took another look around the room and that was when he saw Rebecca's glasses on the floor. He picked them up and examined them. Rebecca knew they had left her face, but couldn't see they were what Fresno Bob was examining. Gia did, though, and didn't want to risk him finding out about the camera.

"Those aren't yours!" she shouted and jumped up, but before she could make it to Fresno Bob, Joey got in her way. This time, she wasn't going to hold back. If Fresno Bob saw the camera anyways, she and Rebecca were dead. But Joey was a tough opponent. Even with her experience fighting bigger, stronger monsters, she couldn't get past him. Part of it, she was sure, was because she was still winded. But now she knew why Fresno Bob had recruited him.

Joey eventually got the better of her as he grabbed her. One arm around her waist, pinning both her arms to her side, while the other went around her throat to choke her. Gia tried to breathe but couldn't. Joey could very well kill her if he wanted and it sure felt like he did.

"No! Let her go!" Rebecca shouted. "Please! Don't hurt her! I need her!"

"I need them both," Fresno Bob said. After that, Rebecca heard Gia hit the ground and gasped loudly. She crawled over and pulled her into her arms both to comfort her and to keep her from jumping up again. Then, she heard Fresno Bob. "You dropped these."

He put the glasses back on her face. She gulped when she realized he had them and how close she and Gia had likely come to being found out. Finally, she heard Fresno Bob instruct Joey to leave and their footsteps head out of the room. When the door slammed, Rebecca couldn't help but let a sob escape her lips. She hugged Gia a little closer.

"I don't know what happened," she said. Gia sat up and held the younger girl in her arms.

"We'll pass training. And we trust each other and only each other. Got it?"

"But it's... Joey. He was my Emma. He was..."

"Was, Becca. He was. He's different now."

Rebecca didn't want to believe it. She knew it was true. She knew he had been just seconds away from killing Gia and he had hit her. The Joey she knew would never do anything like that to anyone, much less to her. But she didn't want to believe it. She couldn't.

"We pass training, we earn Fresno Bob's trust, we find Tensou and we get out of here," Gia said. "That's what we've got to do."

"But Joey..."

"Joey made his decision. I'm sorry, Becca but we just... we can't take that risk. We promised everyone we'd play it safe."

"I..."

"I'm the only one you can trust," Gia said. Rebecca let out a sigh and then nodded her head.

"Okay."

"We pass training, earn Fresno Bob's trust so we get out of here and then find Tensou and get out. That's it. We're done."

"Okay."

"Now, come on, where's that Rebecca I know and hate?" Gia asked. "You're a fierce rebel without a cause. You're angry with everyone and everything. Where's that Rebecca? I need her for this. We've gotta play it tough."

"I'll get her back," Rebecca sniffed. Gia kissed her forehead.

"We can do this."


	15. Uncle Eric

"We don't have everything we need," Wes shook his head as he stepped out of the lunch room. Jake was right on his heels, looking as angry as Wes had ever seen him.

"What do you mean...? That's assault! What he did..."

"That kid Joey did it," Wes said. "We're pulling up everything we can find on him. But we need more for Fresno Bob. If we're going to lock him up for good, we need a tight case. He can't get out on a technicality."

Jake growled and pulled on his hair. He followed Wes into the office where the others all looks worried. And they had reason to be. They had just heard and seen some of the beating Joey had delivered on Gia, and while a quick message from her that she was okay had reassured them it hadn't been anything she couldn't handle, it was only a matter of time before it was. Fresno Bob had almost discovered the glasses already.

"In case you've forgotten, Gia's a defender of the planet. If anything happens to her, Fresno Bob may be the least of your worries."

"And Rebecca's just a civilian," Troy pointed out. He wasn't happy about what he had seen either. While Rebecca had only suffered a slap to the face, it was too much for him to watch. His blood boiled just thinking about Joey."

"Your friends are doing great," Wes assured them all. "We just need more. Not to mention, we haven't even seen Tensou yet. You can't bail on the mission without him."

"I hate this," Noah muttered. "Tensou better have a good reason for wandering off."

"Guys, Gia's tough," Orion reminded them. "She'll figure something out. And Rebecca's not giving up either. If anyone can pull this off, they can."

"What do you think Fresno Bob means by training?" Emma asked. "I mean, he's already recruited them. He's seen what they can do. What else could be up his sleeve?"

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow," Eric said. "We'll stay by the computers just in case something happens, but looks like everything's quiet for the night. We should get some rest."

"We'll sleep in shifts. Two of us will stay up to watch the cameras," Wes suggested.

"When do we go out there?" Jake asked. "When can we go in the city to protect them?"

"Not yet. We've got no idea where they're hiding out anyways. When Fresno Bob sends them for their first mission, you can get closer."

"And what if something happens while they're in his hideout?" Troy asked.

"Your friends better know the way out," Eric said. He removed his headset and walked out, "I'm out."

"Eric..."

"You might want to spend the night here," Eric said to Wes, "I've got a wife to get home to."

"You can call her. We've put two young kids in harm's way. The least we can do is..."

"I said: I'm out. Call me if anything happens," Eric said before he stepped out. Wes rolled his eyes, but when the Rangers asked about going after him he shook his head.

"You can't change Wes' mind. He's stubborn. He is one of the best. I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"How do you know he's not the one working with Fresno Bob?" Jake suggested, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, don't you think he's a bit..."

"Look, I know what Eric's like," Wes frowned deeply. "And as irritating as he might be, he's loyal. I'd trust him with my life. He's not the one working from Fresno Bob. No one is."

"But you're not sure," Noah pointed out.

"I run the background checks myself."

"And who says Fresno Bob doesn't do recruits after the background checks?"

"I know I can't be certain, but that's why we have policies and levels. Anything important stays on top. Nothing leaks down. And Eric can be trusted. He's just... rough around the edges."

"Very rough," Jake muttered. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You better be right about this. About him."

"I'll bet my life," Wes nodded.

-Megaforce-

Eric didn't need to go home. His wife was working and didn't expect him home anyways. He had already called to tell her he was working on a new case. But he did have to leave the Headquarters. He had something important that needed to be done.

As a result of his job, he knew where all the cameras around the city were located. Making sure to avoid them, he walked down the streets until he was out of sight of all of them.

He stopped walking, leaned against an old fence and knocked on it four times. A gate opened, letting him pass. As soon as he was through he grabbed the person waiting for him and threw him into the wall, lifting him off the ground.

"I want to know everything that's going on."

"Hey! What's with the hostility? I'm just doing my job, alright!"

"You touch them again, the deal's off," Eric growled. "I won't protect you anymore, Joey. You hear me?"

"Touch who? I haven't..." Joey trailed off. He looked down at Eric and shook his head, "Wait... Becky? Is she... how did... You didn't!"

"Lay another hand on either of the girls and I'll be your biggest nightmare."

"What are you doing, Uncle Eric?" Joey asked. "If you're trying to bring Fresno Bob down, this isn't the time. I told you, I'll let you know when he lets his guard down. I just need more time..."

"You don't have anymore," Eric shook his head. "I've got two girls in there undercover. You better not let anything happen to them."

Eric set Joey back down on his feet but continued to glare at him. Joey didn't seem too happy either as he straightened out his shirt.

"How did you find out about Becky?"

"I didn't," Eric shook his head. "And I better be the only person to find out. If Fresno Bob realizes she means anything to you, he's going to get suspicious."

"Yeah, I know," Joey nodded. "That's why it was stupid for you to send her in. I can't hurt her, Uncle Eric. If she doesn't pass training he's going to..."

"You don't touch her. Her or Gia."

"But Uncle Eric..."

"You rig the training."

"I can't do that! I've worked hard to get where I am and I can't just..."

"Rig the training."

"If I get caught..."

"Rig it."

"He'll kill me! You're going to let your nephew die for two kids you barely know?"

"Nephew by marriage."

"Aunt Taylor would kill you, though."

Eric grabbed Joey again and slammed him against the wall. He leaned in closer to his nephew and growled softly.

"We're taking Fresno Bob down this time."

"Uncle Eric, he's..."

"We're taking him down," Eric said again. "And I need those girls alive. Do you understand me?"

"This could get me killed."

"Then you shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. I'm done protecting your ass, do you hear me?"

"What's so special about these two?" Joey asked. "You've sent plenty of people undercover before. Aside from the fact that one of them is Becky, why do I...?"

"Just do it."

"I will, I will," Joey threw his hands up in the air. "It could get me killed, but, I guess that doesn't mean anything to you now, does it?"

"I want as many people alive as possible," Eric said. "But those two matter most. Keep them safe, you hear me."

"This could put my life in danger."

"Then don't do something stupid," Eric growled. "Rig training, Convince Fresno Bob he needs them and keep a close eye on them. You lose either one and the deal's off."

Joey nodded his head and then watched as his uncle walked away. He rubbed his shoulder and rolled his eyes as he started to head back to the hideout. He had no idea what made the two girls so special to his uncle. It wasn't the first time people had come in undercover, but this was the first time his uncle had been so insistent on them staying alive. It had to mean something. Of course, Joey already knew he couldn't let anything happen to Rebecca.

But that just made his job harder. Fresno Bob was smart and very observant. Joey would really have to up his game if he were to get past his boss. It would cost him and the girls their lives if he couldn't.


	16. Double Agent

Jake couldn't bear to watch the training through Rebecca's glasses. He knew Gia was strong enough to pull through, but Fresno Bob had made it clear, one mistake would be very costly.

"She's never volunteering for anything again," Jake shook his head as he turned away from the screen. It was just in time, too. As soon as he did he heard what sounded like a sickening punch and Emma buried her face in his back. She too was afraid to watch the screen. All the Rangers were. Even Wes was wincing. Only Eric seemed glued to his screen as he watched with interest.

"This has to be enough to lock him up for good," Troy muttered. "Can't we please just storm in there and get them and Tensou out?"

"Not yet," Eric shook his head. "We need as much as we can get."

Suddenly, the video stopped. The Rangers could still hear what was going on but they couldn't see anything. They heard cries, screams, grunts both from Gia and Rebecca and from the men they were fighting, but without video, they could no longer tell how their friends were doing. Wes jumped out of his seat to check the incoming signal while Eric typed away on his keyboard.

"So much for the glasses," he muttered.

"What happened to Rebecca?" Troy asked. If the camera in the glasses were broken, it meant the glasses were broken. If the glasses were broken, it meant Rebecca had taken a hard hit straight to the head. Troy knew his sister, he knew she was tough. He knew she could tolerate some levels of pain, but this was too much. His sister was hurting and he wasn't there to protect her. Only Gia was, and she was in the same boat as Rebecca.

Eric didn't answer and Wes didn't have an answer, but while Wes tried and hoped that the problem with the video was on his end, Eric spoke into his headset.

"Alright, kitten, you're doing great but the camera on the glasses is busted. We're just as blind as your friend. You're the only one with eyes. Keep us updated."

There was no answer from Gia likely because she was still too busy with training. The Rangers all winced and groaned as they could only listen to the sounds of the fight.

Not a moment too soon, the fight was suddenly over. They could hear Gia huffing and puffing and then heard her gently whisper a good job to Rebecca. When Rebecca answered her back and sounded no worse for wear, Troy and Noah both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, you did it," they heard Fresno Bob say. "I don't how you beat up six of my best fighters, but you really did it. I knew there was something special about the two of you."

"So, are we in?" Rebecca asked. "Are we part of your cartel?"

"Whoa, hold up," Fresno Bob said with a slight laugh. "You girls may fight better than six of my men, but there's still another test you must past."

"Another one?"

"Tonight," Fresno Bob answered. "You'll get more details later. For now, you can wash up. Joey, keep your eye on them, will you?"

"Come on. Shower's this way," Joey said and the Rangers heard some shuffling. They knew the mission was far from over, but at least they could all breathe now knowing they had passed the first part of training.

"This is where you guys come in," Eric said. "We won't have a lot of time. Once Fresno Bob gives them the details, you guys will need to assume positions. Most importantly, you have to remember they aren't your friends, they're criminals."

"We've got to help them pass this part of training," Orion agreed. "We'll do whatever it takes."

"Well, not whatever," Jake muttered. "But we'll help you the best we can. You can count on us."

"Head out for lunch," Wes offered them a moment to relax, "Fresno Bob likes to strike in the evening. We have time."

"Why don't you take them out?" Eric suggested to Wes. "Help them get to know the city. They'll be able to pass as residents and workers a lot better if they know they're way around."

"Who'll watch the feeds them?" Jake asked. Eric rolled his eyes.

"I'll still be here."

"Who'll watch you?"

Eric glared at the green Ranger until Wes pulled Jake away.

"Eric's got this. I trust him, remember."

"The thing is, I don't," Jake said. "You seemed pretty happy just now when our friends were taking a beating."

"Hey, I enjoy a good fight," Eric shrugged. Jake shook his head but didn't say anything else as he followed Wes and his friends out. Eric waited for the door to close and then a little longer to be sure no one would come back before he opened his desk and pulled out the fake bottom. Underneath it was a folder. He put it down on his desk and opened it up.

Joey had been his informant for a year and a half. When he had convinced his parents to let him move back to America, Eric and Taylor had taken him in. He was Taylor's older brother's son and they were only too happy to share their home with him. Unfortunately, after spending so many years away from home, Joey forgot what it was like in an American school. He started off being bullied and that quickly led him down the path that brought him to Fresno Bob. Eric found out when it was already too late what his nephew had been up to and though he cared a great deal for Joey, this gave him a once in a lifetime opportunity to take down the top criminal on the Silver Guardian's most wanted list. In his time, Joey had quickly moved up to being one of Fresno Bob's most trusted and loyal members. Fresno Bob rarely questioned his actions which gave Joey a lot of room to sneak around.

Eric had a whole file on the crimes that Fresno Bob had been a part of, and while he was sure there was enough to make a case against him, there was no hard evidence still.

Cameras and microphones had always been too dangerous. It was why Eric never considered the idea with Joey. He didn't want to risk losing his nephew. Joey was all alone and struggled to work as a double agent. But Gia and Rebecca provided Eric with the opportunity to finally catch Fresno Bob off guard. They were a pair. One was a Ranger. While a camera and a microphone were still risky, Eric trusted Gia could handle it. And with Joey looking out for the girls, they had a good chance at making it out with all the evidence Eric needed.

But he had tried to send in undercover agents before to no avail. He never wanted to risk his nephew's life and so often sent them in without letting them know about Joey and without giving Joey the responsibility of helping them. Often, that meant his agents failed Fresno Bob's training or they were discovered and killed. Eric was over losing his men. He was done with failed missions. This one needed to succeed, especially since he had sent in two kids.

Eric read over his folder again. He knew most of it by heart, but knowing Fresno Bob had a task for the girls, he wanted to be prepared for whatever was about to happen. He wasn't about to let anything slip past him.

-Megaforce-

In Fresno Bob's hideout, Joey led the girls to the showers and offered them each an old towel. After that, he didn't leave. Gia glared at him.

"We're showering. Do you mind?"

"I can't take my eyes off you," Joey shook his head. "Fresno Bob's orders."

"Then how do you expect us to shower?"

"If I turn my back and you try something, Fresno Bob's going to kill us all," Joey said. "Trust me, this is for your own good."

"Or, you're just a pervert," Gia growled. Rebecca grabbed her arm.

"We can shower one at a time," she suggested. "I'll hold up the towel for you so he doesn't see and then you'll do the same for me."

"Or, he could just leave the room," Gia said.

"He's an asshole, now," Rebecca said. She turned to Joey sadly and then shook her head. "We're not going to win this one. It's the best we can do. I promise, I won't peek and he won't see anything."

"Becca..."

"Gia, it's okay," Rebecca smiled up at the yellow Ranger. Gia sighed loudly and walked to the shower, making sure she kept Rebecca and the towels close.

When the girls had their backs to him, Joey sighed to himself and shook his head. He knew he had hurt Rebecca with his actions back in their room. Unfortunately, he couldn't explain himself. He couldn't let anyone, especially them; know his loyalty wasn't to Fresno Bob. While he had let it slip to them that he cared for Rebecca, by attacking Gia and striking his old friend, he had convinced them that his friendship wasn't as important to him as Fresno Bob's orders.

And it needed to stay that way. For their own safety. For his safety too.


	17. The Cartel's Newest Member

"You want us to rob a bank? Armed?"

"But without guns?"

Fresno Bob nodded his head at the girls and then put his arms around their shoulders. He started to walk with them.

"How do you expect me to trust my newest recruits with guns when they haven't passed their test yet?" he asked them. "Of course, we'll provide you with everything you need to make the bank tellers think you're armed. Ziggy!"

Ziggy rushed over with a suitcase. He opened it up and offered the girls what looked like two hand guns. Only when Gia tried to fire hers, nothing happened. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, yeah, great."

"Hey, a good thief doesn't need a gun to get what he wants. They're just toys, after all. Prove to me you're good thieves and I'll give you some real toys to play with."

"Makes sense," Rebecca shrugged. "So how much do you want?"

"As much as you can get," Fresno Bob smirked. "But please, make it entertaining. That's what counts."

Rebecca and Gia both nodded their head, but then, in the corner of her eyes, Gia spotted something. It was Tensou. It seemed he had been deactivated and opened up. Another man was working on him, studying him, Gia assumed, to figure out what he could do. Or, possibly, reprogramming him. She could only hope he hadn't messed anything up. The longer the Rangers went without Tensou, the worse off the whole planet was.

However, at least she could now confirm Fresno Bob had Tensou, and this wasn't all for nothing. She nodded her head again, smiled at Fresno Bob and let him know she was ready for her second task. Fresno Bob gave her and Rebecca directions, told them he would be watching their every move and then let them go.

Gia and Rebecca headed straight for the bank, but in her ear Gia already heard Eric assure her her friends were waiting. When they walked in, they saw Troy standing by the door as the security guard. Orion was waiting in line; Jake was one of the tellers, helping Noah, while Emma was the other. Her line was open. There were some other people around, but the bank was already pretty empty. Gia breathed a little sigh of relief. It meant there were fewer casualties.

"Go," she muttered to Rebecca and told her how to reach Emma. Rebecca moved in. She knew Emma knew she was only playing a part, but Fresno Bob told her he was watching. She couldn't let him know she knew Emma. She had to keep up with her role. So she started to chat Emma up. She needed to pretend like she was trying to make a withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Gia shifted over closer to Troy. As acting security guard, she knew Fresno Bob would expect her to take him out first. He would be the only person expected to get in her way.

Back at the counter, the pressure was on for Rebecca. Gia couldn't go after Troy until Rebecca gave her the signal.

"How much do you want to withdraw?" Emma asked Rebecca.

"How much you got?" Rebecca asked. Emma pointed to the screen.

"Um, miss, this is how much you have," she said. Emma knew pointing without explaining was futile for Rebecca, but she remembered the plan for the florist and figured it could work here as well. Getting Rebecca riled up and then trying to make up for the obvious mistake and then being caught by surprise when Rebecca turned out to be a thief was bound to satisfy Fresno Bob.

"Are you a fucking idiot," Rebecca growled and hated herself for it. Emma was a good friend. She didn't want to be so mean. Unfortunately, she had to do it. "Do you think I can see what you've put up on that damn screen?"

"I um..."

"Well, while we're at it, why don't you ask me what my favourite fucking colour is? Or how about you just make faces or flip me off. I can't see them anyways."

"Um, miss, I didn't..."

"Oh, what, you didn't know? Is that what you wanted to say?"

"No, no, I just, I didn't mean..."

"Of course you meant it, you asshat! Ha, ha, let's make fun of the fucking blind kid! She can't see who's doing it anyways!"

"Miss, I assure you, I didn't mean..."

"You know what, just give me everything you've got," Rebecca took her weapon out of her jacket and pointed it at Emma. She smirked, "It's the least you can do."

"Security!" Emma cried out and Troy started to make his way over. He didn't get far when Gia pulled out her own gun and pointed it at him.

"Where are you going?"

"Fight him," Eric whispered in her ear. Gia frowned deeply. She didn't want to hurt Troy but then the red Ranger gave her a quick nod. Fresno Bob was expecting a good show and it would only be believable if she took Troy out.

She did so quickly. Troy let her. He put up a bit of a fight, but not enough to beat her. Gia pinned him to the ground and then snatched his handcuffs off his belt and locked his wrists.

"Give me the money," Rebecca said to Emma. "All of it, now, and I might not kill you.

Troy the security guard was down and there wasn't another one in the bank. The Rangers had sent them all away for this reason. Knowing there was nothing else she could do, Emma started to type away on the computer. Because she was a teller, Wes had given her the override code for the bank. They would get all their money back at the end of the mission, but for now, she had to drain as many accounts as possible.

"That's right. More and more," Rebecca said. "Just give it all up. Come on, I don't have all day!"

Emma got the money from the machine, placed it in a brown bag for Rebecca and handed it over. She started to count the money. Fortunately, Noah had taught her to read the Braille on her own bills long before this mission. She could count it accurately, then thanked Emma.

She also made a mental note to apologize to her friend later. She had been pretty harsh, even for a mission.

"Let's go," she said to Gia as she started to run to the door. Gia nodded and was about to follow her out but stopped just for a second. She glanced at her teammates, whom she was sure were worried about her. They had played their parts well and she was grateful they trusted her so much to let her do this. She wanted them to know she was okay.

Her eyes met Jake's and she smiled softly. Not enough for the cameras to pick up, but Jake knew it. He gave her a quick nod. It was his promise he still had her back and she knew he always would. Finally, she took off right behind Rebecca, making sure to get away quickly while one of her friends made the call to the Silver Guardians.

The girls continued to run down the street. Rebecca made sure to keep a tight grip on the money. She didn't want to drop it. She was sure that if she did Fresno Bob wouldn't be happy. She used Gia's footsteps as a guide to know where she was going but suddenly didn't hear them anymore. Instead, she heard a grunt and something that sounded a lot like the stun gun she and Gia had been shot with the day before.

Suddenly, all her senses failed her.

When she came to she had no idea where she was. The floor beneath her was hard and cold. It felt like concrete, but she didn't feel any breeze. She assumed she was indoors. She heard some footsteps around her as well as some murmuring, but it was taking a while for her ears to tune in.

But someone was coming towards her. That she knew. The footsteps got closer and closer until he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"I told you," he whispered very quietly in her ear. "I told you to get out."

"Joey?" Rebecca asked. "Did we pass? Are we cartel?"

"Shh," Joey whispered and pulled her in closer. "You passed, but there's still one more task."

"I... huh?"

"Well, look who's finally up," Rebecca heard Fresno Bob say and turned in his direction. His voice seemed like a mixture of satisfied and disappointed, if that was even possible. "It's the star of the show, the true badass of the bunch. My newest protégée."

"Protégée?" Rebecca asked. She turned to Joey, "I thought you said there was one more task."

"There is," Fresno Bob answered her. Rebecca then felt him put what felt like a gun in her hands. A real gun. She gulped.

"What's this?" she felt it for herself, just to be sure her suspicions were correct.

"My dear girl, you may be blind, but we all know that doesn't stop you. What does it feel like to you?"

"A gun," Rebecca answered.

"Excellent," Fresno Bob said. Rebecca then heard him project his voice, likely because he was talking to the others in the room. "See this girl? In a matter of months, she'll put you all to shame! You can all learn something from her."

"From me?" Rebecca asked and pointed the gun at herself accidentally. Joey must have seen, because he turned the gun away. Rebecca realized her mistake and lowered her hand so she gun was pointed at the floor and looked in Fresno Bob's direction. "Why? How much money did I get?"

"The amount is no matter to me. It's your style, your rage, your ability to get the job done. Correctly. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about your partner."

"Gia? Wait, where is she?"

"She made too many mistakes," Fresno Bob told Rebecca. He walked over to her and draped his arm around her shoulders. He leaned on her quite a bit. It was only then Rebecca could tell he was a heavy man. She barely had the strength to hold him up, especially after the wild day she had, but she did her best. "Unfortunately, we can't afford any."

Rebecca turned to face him, "You didn't... kill her? Fresno Bob, she's my partner, my eyes! You can't... I mean, we're a team, we..., we..."

"I haven't touched her," Fresno Bob said. He took Rebecca's hand and lifted the gun. She wasn't sure what he had her pointing at, but she already knew she wasn't going to like it. "This is your final task. If you're going to be a cartel, you've got to shoot like one."

"Shoot? A... a real gun?"

"And you've got to kill."

"Kill!"

"You wanted to be cartel, right? You wanted to earn my trust? My respect. The target is right in front of you. Pull the trigger."

"What's the target?"

"Does it matter?" Fresno Bob asked. "If you're going to work for me, you have to do anything I ask without question. The target's in front of you. Shoot. Now."

Rebecca had a bad feeling. She didn't want to fire a real gun and she especially didn't want to shoot a target when she had no idea what it was. Not to mention, she had no idea what Fresno Bob had done to Gia. He had made it clear she hadn't passed, though Rebecca wasn't sure why. She didn't want to do anything without getting the okay from Gia in this mission.

But she wasn't left with much of a choice. Her mission was to become a cartel member, to earn Fresno Bob's trust in order to find Tensou and bring him home. She had to do what he asked not just for the mission, but because her life depended on it. One mistake could cost her hers and Gia's lives.

Rebecca put her finger on the trigger, turned her head away, closed her eyes and muttered, "here goes nothing," before she fired. The gun had a little more of a kick to it than she was expecting and she wasn't sure she hit the target until she heard a groan and Fresno Bob clap his hands.

"Excellent! You really are everything I imagined. You will do great!" he gave her a pat on the back and then instructed for his men to take off.

"You should have left," Joey whispered in her ear before he walked away from her. Rebecca didn't move from her spot as everyone took off. She heard them all go towards the door but one person was coming back. He seemed to be rushing.

"Ziggy!" Fresno Bob called. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I... but she... I just thought..."

"It's a kill shot, Ziggy! Let it go."

"But Fresno Bob, I..."

"Let it go!"

"Ow! Ow! Okay, you don't have to be so rough about it," Ziggy said and Rebecca heard him being dragged away. When the doors all shut and everyone was gone, Rebecca hesitantly inched to her target. She could hear some pained groans and moans and a beeping. It was then it dawned on her. She had shot someone. She had shot a real person.

She had shot Gia.

She knelt by the yellow Ranger and right away felt something wet and sticky. She brought it to her nose and instantly the smell of fresh blood overwhelmed her. She shook her head.

"Gia?"

"Becca..."

"Gia, I... I... oh god!" Rebecca cried. She felt around and when she found the source of the blood she covered it with her hands. "I didn't know! I didn't... I didn't think he'd actually. No, Gia, I'm..."

"Shh," Gia whispered and took Rebecca's hands. "We knew the risk."

"No! No, don't... Gia don't die!"

Gia moved a hand away and then put something in Rebecca's. She realized it was the ear piece.

"Eric talks the most," Gia said. "He's a bit insulting, but he gives good advice. Listen to him."

"Gia... I'm..."

"Get Tensou home, tell the others I love them, and then take my place."

"No! No one's taking your place! Stay awake, okay. Stay with me. I'll call for..."

"Don't! He'll find out and he'll kill you too!" Gia said. She squeezed Rebecca's hands. "I get to see my dad. I'm okay now. Please just... just go."

"No, Gia. Don't leave me. We're partners. We come out alive! We... we... No!" Rebecca shook her head. She didn't hear Gia anymore. She didn't feel her try to comfort her. She held her face gently, "Gia! Gia, wake up! Gia! Please, don't die. Please, please, please. I'm sorry!"

But it was too late. Gia wouldn't wake. Rebecca tried to feel for a pulse but it wasn't there. She felt for the heartbeat itself and put her head to Gia's chest. There was no mechanical sound. Her heart monitor stopped beeping; her chest wasn't rising and falling.

She was dead.

"No, no, no!" Rebecca fumbled around. She tried to start Gia's heart again through CPR but it didn't work. She was already gone. Rebecca jumped to her feet and in her frustration kicked Gia. "This was your stupid plan! You stupid idea to get us into this mess! You can't leave me! You can't leave us! You... you idiot! You're just an idiot!"

"Rebecca?"

She turned around when she heard Joey's voice and stormed over to him, shoving him when she was close enough.

"You! You didn't stop me!"

"I couldn't!" Joey told her. "Fresno Bob would have killed all of us!"

"That's Gia!"

"Rebecca, it needed to be gone! Just trust me..."

"Trust you? I don't even know you!" Rebecca screamed. She shoved him again. "You're working for Fresno Bob, you slapped me! You let me kill my best friend! You're not Joey! You're just... you're an ass!"

"Rebecca, please. If Fresno Bob sees you like this he's going to know something's up. Go back to your room and calm down. Please."

"NO!"

"Rebecca, go!" Joey shoved her towards the door. Rebecca didn't want to leave so he pushed her out and closed the door before she could get back in. Rebecca screamed and beat on the door for several minutes before giving up. He didn't hear her storm off but she was out of his way.

He had already tampered with the cameras, not that anyone but him checked them anyways, but to be safe they were on a loop, focused on Gia all alone. That meant he could do whatever he wanted.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a syringe. He walked up to Gia, grabbed her arm and drained the entire contents into her veins. He prayed it worked. After a few seconds, she gasped. Her bracelet beeped, Joey wasn't sure why, but it only lasted for a few seconds before everything calmed.

"You okay?" he asked her. Gia nodded her head. She opened her jacket, revealing a bullet proof vest. She ripped it off, and with it came all the blood. Underneath it was her yellow shirt, completely free of stains.

"Bullet packs a punch," she said. "I'm going to have that bruise for a while."

"Don't rush it. Just take your time. Fresno Bob's having dinner so if you need a minute..."

"Relax, I've died before," Gia pushed him off and got to her feet. She looked around. "Becca's gone?"

"It was hard getting her out," Joey nodded. Then he pointed to the vent, "You remember the way? Straight through, right to the end, then left, then the second vent on the right, and..."

"I remember," Gia insisted. Joey nodded again. He held out his hands to hoist her up but Gia didn't take him up on his offer. She continued to glare at him. Joey sighed.

"What?"

"You take care of her."

"Gia..."

"She's fragile. What you did..."

"You're the one who didn't destroy the cameras," Joey said. "You gave those eyes to that bank teller. Fresno Bob doesn't want anyone leaving anything behind except relationships. Whatever you and that guy had, it should have been over. We had to execute you! It's the only thing Fresno Bob would have wanted."

"Just watch her," Gia glared. "Believe me; I know every bruise, every cut on her body. She gets one more before this is over, I'll pass my third task and I'll make sure you're the target. You got it."

"I'm not going to hurt Becky."

"You better fucking not," Gia growled and then jumped, grabbed the bottom of the vent and started to lift herself unaided. Joey watched in awe. When Gia was in the vent, he closed it behind her and then stepped out of the room. He found Rebecca on the floor, sobbing to herself. She didn't seem to notice him so he lifted her up and carried her to her room. He set her down on her bed.

"You've got to pull yourself together. The big heist is tonight."

Rebecca turned away from him angrily. Joey sighed.

"Seriously..."

"We're not friends anymore."

"Becky, I'm only looking out for you. I told you this was dangerous. You didn't listen!"

"You could have told me I was killing my best friend!"

"Becky..."

"No, just shut up! Get out of my room. I'm not helping Fresno Bob anymore. I'm done..."

"You're cartel. You're not done. You're only done if you're in a body bag. You've got to go through with it. For Gia."

"Gia wouldn't want me doing anything to help that bastard! You might be a murderer, but I'm not!"

"You are," Joey glared at her. "Like it or not, she's gone! You killed her. You go out there alone and that's exactly what you'll be. Alone. Do you think anyone's going to take you back after what you did?"

Rebecca frowned as she thought about it. She was sure Troy would take her back, but she knew her time with her friends would be rough. They all cared about Gia. With the exception of Troy, she doubted anyone would want to see her again. She gulped and shook her head.

"Joey..."

"You're cartel now. Just stick with me, alright? We'll get through this, Becky, I promise. You'll be okay."


	18. The Cartel's Final Mission Part I

After hearing his girlfriend die, Jake was livid. All the Rangers were angry, but Jake most of all. He flipped his chair and turned on Eric.

"You..."

"Jake..."

"He did this!" Jake pointed to Eric as he turned to Wes. "He knew this was going to happen! He's not even fazed! Look at him!"

"I know this looks bad..."

"Gia saw Tensou! He's in there, we know it! We just had to get him out!"

"We have to take down Fresno Bob," Eric said. "He's a dangerous..."

"Dangerous! Do you know who's fucking dangerous! Vrak! Vekar! The freaking Armada hovering over our heads! The one Gia's helping us hold off! Without her, Fresno Bob means nothing!"

"How could you let this happen?" Troy asked. "How could you just sit there..."

"You think I'm cartel?" Eric frowned. "You think I enjoy losing someone like that?"

"You didn't seem worried at all. It's like you knew this was coming," Orion nodded his head and cracked his knuckles. Eric scoffed.

"I'm doing everything I can. I warned you, I warned your friends, this is dangerous. Someone could die!"

"Gia's dead!" Jake screamed. "You just... how could you hear another Ranger die and just... not..."

"I don't cry," Eric shook his head. "But even if I did, now's not the time to cry about spilled milk."

"Milk..." Jake clenched his fists tightly as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Gia's dead," Emma growled. "This is so far from being spilt milk!"

"You've got another friend still in there," Eric said. "Alone! Blind! Before you start crying over what happened, you might want to consider how you're going to get her out! I know I'm working on something already."

"Is she going to leave in a body bag too?" Noah scoffed.

"Guys!" Wes got between the Rangers and Eric when he sensed the tension was building up too much. He knew the Rangers needed someone to blame and Eric's attitude often made him look like the bad guy but he trusted Eric. He strongly doubted Eric had anything to do with the cartels and he needed to stand by his friend and partner. "Eric's my best friend. I trust him with everything. If he says he's got a plan..."

"Gia's dead!"

"We can't mourn about that now," Wes said. "Look, I'm really sorry but..."

"Let's just get Rebecca out and then we're gone," Troy stated. He started to leave, with his team right behind him but Eric shook his head.

"Wait! Just until nightfall."

"Why should we listen to you?" Emma asked.

"Fresno Bob's got to sleep at some point. That's our best chance," Eric said. "Just wait until midnight before you go in. If you're going to risk your lives, this is the safest way to do it."

"Eric's right," Wes nodded. "Guys, I am really sorry about..."

"Whatever..."

"Look, you can sleep here tonight," Wes offered. "Rebecca's got the ear piece; you can keep an eye on her. Wes and I will head down to the lobby. We'll stay out of your way."

Wes dragged Eric out of the room and into the elevator. When they were inside and the doors closed, he turned to the Quantum Ranger. "Eric..."

"I'm not Cartel."

"Look, it's just us. If there's something you want to tell me..."

"I'm not cartel," Eric insisted. He then pressed the emergency stop button. He looked to Wes, "But I know the mole."

"Wait, there is a mole?"

"We have a mole," Eric nodded. He pulled out his file on Fresno Bob from his jacket and gave it to Wes. "Joey's Taylor's nephew."

"What?"

"Look, I didn't know he was getting into this stuff. Trust me; between Taylor and me, if we had known, we would have stopped him."

"Yeah, I believe that," Wes said as he flipped through all the pages on Fresno Bob. "Joey gave you all this?"

"I found out about a year and a half ago. By then, Joey was too far gone to just pull him out. Not to mention, he gave us the perfect opportunity. We've been meeting in secret. He fills me in on everything Fresno Bob's been up to and I help him... look good."

"So you are a double agent?"

"I gave Joey a list of all our employees," Eric nodded. "Wes, I'm sorry, but I had to make him look good for Fresno Bob. To keep him alive, I needed to make him invaluable."

"So all this time..."

"The less people knew the safer. Taylor doesn't even know Joey's working with me. She thinks we've lost him."

"But..."

"Wes, I'm sorry, but we needed to do this. I need all this dirt on Fresno Bob. I've been studying it. I've been studying him. I know what he's after. I can tell you exactly what he wants and how he's going to get it. We've got him."

Wes shook his head and handed Eric back his folder, "Fresno Bob is unpredictable and good at what he does. There's no way..."

"Yes, there is," Eric said. He pointed to the folder, "Fresno Bob's after two things. Money and power. He's got money. You heard what he told the girls. It doesn't matter how much they took from the bank. He doesn't need any more. He's got investments all over the city. Half of the local businesses owe him more money than they are actually worth! He's shitting cash! The only thing he needs now is power."

"So what does that mean?"

"He's coming here," Eric said. "That's what he wants Tensou for. He's going to hack into our security."

"And he thinks Tensou can do that?"

"Tensou's a walking, talking robot. You've got to think he's pretty advanced. Fresno Bob's going to give it a shot and now that we know what Tensou is, we know he's not going to fail. We have to stop him!"

"Eric..."

"I'm certain of it," Eric insisted. He looked Wes in the eyes. "Have I ever let you down before?"

"What about Gia? Even with this plan, how are you going to explain to her friends how you let her..."

"No one died," Eric shook his head. "You'll see Gia soon."

"Eric..."

"Don't tell anyone what I just told you. This needs to go according to plan. Got it?"

"They're kids, Eric. You're toying with them and that's not fair."

"We get Fresno Bob off the streets, we'll save hundreds of kids," Eric smiled. "Come on, we're all Rangers here. We're tough."

"What about Rebecca?"

"Daddy's money can pay for her therapy, can't it?"

"I... you..."

"We got this," Eric smiled. "We've got him. Just please trust me on this."

"Fine," Wes muttered. "But it's not like you've left me with a lot of choice in the matter."

-Megaforce-

Rebecca pulled herself together. Though it was tough, she knew it needed to be done. With Gia gone, her only hope at getting through this mission alive was sticking close to Joey and making Fresno Bob believe she was cartel.

At this moment, they were sitting in his car. Ziggy was driving, though dangerously so, to their next location. Fresno Bob had brought his entire team with him as well as Tensou. Rebecca heard him talking about the robot and asking his technician about how progress was going. When the technician let him know that he had successfully reprogrammed the robot to work for them, Rebecca was worried she had lost another friend. Tensou's systems were complicated. By reprogramming him he could have completely destroyed the old Tensou.

But that wasn't her biggest concern. Fresno Bob's big idea what to invade the Silver Guardian's headquarters. He wanted to take the whole force by surprise and take completely control of their systems. He wanted to be the head of security of Silver Hills. He wanted to me the most important man in all of Silver Hills.

"And if that goes well, maybe we'll spread," Fresno Bob said as he talked to himself about his plans, gloating already. "Who knows, in a few years, I just might be president."

Rebecca felt sick to her stomach. She didn't want to help Fresno Bob. She didn't want to do anything but go back in time a few days. Joining the cartels was the worst idea she had ever had.

The car stopped suddenly, but with Ziggy at the wheel, that wasn't usual. Rebecca felt Fresno Bob's gaze shift to her.

"You know what to do."

She gulped, "The Silver Guardians? Are you sure we can..."

"I've got the most elite team. Go on, protégée."

Rebecca gulped and nodded her head. She was about to leave the car when she was stopped. A gun was placed in her hand.

"Don't forget this. You might need it."

"You mean I have to kill again?"

"You might get another chance," Fresno Bob told her. Rebecca took the gun uneasily and climbed out of the car. She placed the weapon in her back pocket and covered it up with her jacket. It was out of sight and hopefully she wouldn't have to use it.

She walked into the Silver Guardian's headquarters and remembered where the front desk was. She felt extremely nervous walking in. The whole place was security and she was sure, by now, everyone knew what she had done to Gia. And with the gun in her pocket she was sure she was going to be arrested on the spot.

Still, that was better that killing someone else. So she cleared her throat, unsure if the person working the front desk had noticed her.

"Um, excuse me. I need some help. I, um..."

"Becca," she recognized Wes' voice right away, "Come."

"Wait, what's going on?" Rebecca asked. "Am I... I mean, are you..."

"Act cool. He's watching," Wes said as he guided her over to one of the complaint machines. He put her hand on the screen to select the visually impaired option and then stuck by her as she pretended to file a complaint. He did notice some men walking into the building and getting right past him, but pretended not to. He knew what they were doing, and they were in for a nasty surprised.

The men got to the elevator and stepped inside. Once the doors closed, they dropped. Eric, who had stood behind them, blew on the end of his stun gun and smirked.

"Well, that was easy," he said and then started to undress one of them. The elevator stopped and opened on the floor just below his office. Without his code, it wouldn't go all the way up. Fortunately, because the Rangers weren't aware of his plan yet. He pushed the button to return to the lobby and changed quickly. When the door opened again, Wes was waiting for him with Rebecca. They stepped inside. The door closed and Eric offered Wes the second uniform.

"You guys have a plan?" Rebecca asked while Wes changed. Eric nodded his head.

"What's Fresno Bob got up his sleeve this time?"

"You guys get into the office," Rebecca said. "You were supposed to take out, well, you, and let him know when the coast was clear. Then he and Joey, his sidekick asshole, and Ziggy would come up with Tensou and reprogram everything."

"Looks like you were right," Wes sighed. Eric smirked.

"Aren't I always?" he entered his code and the elevator brought him up to his office. Once there, the doors opened. The Rangers turned and none of them looked happy until they saw Rebecca.

"You brought her home?" Troy asked as he pulled his sister into his arms. He didn't get to hug her for long before the others took her from him so he walked up to Eric and Wes. "But how did you...?"

"I've got a plan," Eric nodded. "Just go along with it, please."

"And your plan couldn't involve keeping Gia alive?" Jake scoffed only to quickly hear a sob after he said it. He turned to Rebecca and saw her eyes were watering. His face softened. He instantly shook his head, "Wait, Becca, I didn't..."

"Hey, no one blames you," Noah held his girlfriend warmly as she started to cry. "Fresno Bob took advantage."

"We're mad at Eric," Troy nodded. Eric sighed.

"Pull yourselves together. We won't get anywhere with you guys whining over what happened. We'll hold a funeral later. For now, we get Tensou back and get Fresno Bob behind bars for good."

"Here's the walkie," Rebecca sniffed as she pulled the walkie talkie from her pocket. "You tell Fresno Bob you've killed you and let him know the code for the elevator. He'll be coming up soon with Tensou."

"Wait, hold up," Eric frowned. "Fresno Bob sent only two guys to kill Wes and me?"

Rebecca nodded. Eric sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And here I was thinking he was a smart man. I guess I stand corrected."

"Just make the call, please," Rebecca begged. "You take too long and he'll know you're up to something. He might think I'm up to something! Please!"

"Everything's fine," Wes assured her as he took the walkie talkie from her hands. He spoke into it, "All clear. 53 67 26 88 7 is the code to get up. 53 67 26 88 7."

"Got it," Fresno Bob answered on the other end. Wes then shut off the walkie and turned to Eric, "I guess we wait for him inside."

Eric shook his head, "He's not coming up the elevator."

"Huh?" Wes and the Rangers frowned. Eric smirked.

"Rangers, you head down to the lobby. Just ride the elevator. If Fresno Bob does get on hit the button for the thirteenth floor. It'll activate the alarms everywhere except the elevator."

"There's a thirteenth floor?"

"Just a button for it," Eric smirked. He turned to Wes, "You and I are going to take the stairs down."

"Why the stairs?" Wes frowned. "Eric, Fresno Bob isn't going to climb thirty floors to get up here. No one does!"

"Trust me," Eric smirked. Wes rolled his eyes but had faith his partner knew what he was doing. So the team split ways. The Mega Rangers boarded the elevator. Noah and Troy made sure to keep Rebecca close. Meanwhile, Wes and Eric started their descent.


	19. The Cartel's Final Mission Part II

In the lobby of the Silver Hills HQ, Fresno Bob had a quick look around and then started to make his way to the elevator. Just as he was about to push the button, Joey stopped him.

"Wait. Something about this is too easy," he said. "Besides, we're cornered in an elevator."

"What do you suggest?"

Joey pointed to the stairs. Fresno Bob didn't seem to like the idea but it was Ziggy who gasped loudly.

"You mean I have to carry this hunk of metal all the way up to the top!" he cried out as he struggled to keep a firm grip on Tensou.

"Pull your weight, lackey," Joey scoffed at the boy and then turned to Fresno Bob, "Look, it can't be that bad. Besides, who knows what's waiting for us in that elevator? This could be a trap. No one would expect us to take the stairs up."

"You're sure about this?"

"Positive," Joey nodded. "Collins and Meyers are smart. Even if they're out, other guardians may be looking for us. What do you think they'll think you'll do?"

"This is why I keep you on board," Fresno Bob said, pat Joey on the back and lead the way to the stairs. Ziggy grumbled.

"Do I seriously have to carry this all the way up?"

"It builds character," Joey shrugged and took off. Ziggy reluctantly followed, carrying the heavy Tensou in his arms for many flights. By the time Fresno Bob stopped to rest, he had no idea where he was.

"My arms feel like noodles," he said and set Tensou down. Joey chuckled.

"They look like it too. Only twenty four more floors to go. Is everyone okay?"

"Just give me another minute," Fresno Bob stated. He took a seat on the steps. He was already huffing and puffing. Joey wasn't sure how far he would make it up.

Fortunately, he didn't have to find out. The door to the sixth floor opened and Gia stepped out. Ziggy screamed and nearly fell backwards down the stairs when he recognized her. Fresno Bob looked like he was going to have a heart attack and an aneurism at once. Joey just smirked.

"You didn't actually think I would take death lying down, did you?" Gia said.

Fresno Bob used the handrail to pull himself up to his feet. He shook his head.

"You died! You bled out! Your friend shot you!"

"And it hurt like a bitch," Gia smirked. "Now, we can do this one of two ways. Either, you can turn yourself in, go to jail willingly and let this city rest peacefully or I'll turn you into a target. It's up to you."

Fresno Bob growled then snapped his fingers. "Joey..."

"Sorry, boss," Joey shook his head and joined Gia at the landing. "I'm done working for you!"

"I... what? You mean...?"

Joey nodded and pulled out his gun. He aimed it right for Fresno Bob with a huge smirk.

"You're one kill I won't regret."

"This won't be forgotten!" Fresno Bob cried out and turned to run, shoving Ziggy out of his way. Joey started to fire, hoping to slow his former boss down. He didn't actually want more blood on his hands than he already had but if Fresno Bob got too far, he wasn't afraid to take him out for good.

"They always run," Gia muttered and rolled her eyes before she hopped over the handrail and landed on the lower set of stairs. Joey continued to shoot, but by now Fresno Bob was covered by the stairs. All his shots were going to miss.

Ziggy, meanwhile, stood in the corner and clutched Tensou to his chest. He looked to Joey fearfully.

"So uh... do I just..."

"Stay here, Zig," Joey assured him and started to run after Fresno Bob and Gia. Ziggy nodded his head and didn't move a muscle until two more people showed up wearing Fresno Bob's uniforms. However, they're faces weren't familiar and Ziggy immediately knew why.

"Silver Guardians!"

"Shh," Eric whispered. He knew all about Ziggy. The orphaned boy who had been living off the streets, stealing food just to live. At only the age of six, he had snuck into one of Fresno Bob's delivery trucks to get a loaf of bread. Needless to say, he didn't get away undetected. But rather that hurt the poor boy, Fresno Bob thought he could shape him. However, Ziggy didn't turn out to be quite as skilled as Fresno Bob expected, but because he had raised him from a young boy, Fresno Bob didn't have the heart to kill him or let him go.

Ziggy was almost completely innocent. They could deal with his charges later. Right now, Fresno Bob was their biggest target.

"Stay here," Eric told Ziggy and he nodded his head. Again, he didn't move a muscle. Meanwhile, Eric and Wes continued to their descent until they were in the lobby. But they didn't see Fresno Bob nor Joey.

But they did hear gunshots in the streets as well as people screaming. Wes ran to the reception desk to activate the alarms, letting the rest of the Silver Guardians know there was trouble. Eric, meanwhile, ran to the elevator. When it opened, he pressed the button to close the doors.

"Get to my office and call my wife."

"Your wife?"

"My phone's on my desk," Eric said. Troy wanted to clarify but the doors shut. Eric then typed a code into the keypad next to the elevator. He didn't want the Rangers coming down. With a gunfight just outside the building, he didn't want the current team of Rangers to put their lives at risk when he was confident the Silver Guardians could get the job done.

"Back up is on the way. Let's go!"

"Back up? You didn't..."

"Come on, she loves it!" Eric chuckled. Wes shook his head.

"You've got to stop playing with the big toys."

"Then it's no fun," Eric said. They stepped out on the streets, followed closely by the rest of the Silver Guardians. Fresno Bob's men were shooting at Joey, who had ducked behind a car and trying to shoot back. As the Silver Guardians began to fire back, Eric hurried over to his nephew. He saw he was bleeding from the shoulder.

"What's going on out here?" he asked. He ripped off a piece of his shirt and pressed it against Joey's shoulder.

"I'm the distraction," Joey said. "Gia's getting to Fresno Bob."

"Alone? If she gets anywhere near him, they'll gun her down."

"She's fearless," Joey shook his head. "And insanely stubborn. You know, she reminds me a lot of..."

"Aunt Taylor, yeah, I know," Eric nodded.

"You've gotta help her," Joey said to his uncle. "Becky was devastated when she thought she killed her and I don't want her to think..."

"Everything's going to work out," Eric promised. "Just stay covered, alright. We've got this under control. Which way did they go?"

"They went that way," Joey pointed down the street. "Three men went after them. They're all armed."

"So am I," Eric smiled. "Help's on the way. Just stay here, alright."

Joey nodded his head and continued to hold his shoulder while Eric took off. With the Silver Guardians keeping the men on the other side of the street busy, he was free to go after Fresno Bob and Gia. The Silver Guardians greatly outnumbered the cartel, but that wouldn't guarantee their win if Fresno Bob got away. He had to find him and fast.

A few blocks down, he could hear more gunshots. They were both a welcomed and hated. Every shot he heard meant Gia had survived the last one, but every shot could also be her last. He knew he had to move quickly.

He followed the sound of the shots until he reached a one way street. Fresno Bob was surrounded by his men while Gia had taken to hiding behind a set of wooden crates that weren't going to protect her for long. Eric drew his gun and pointed it at Fresno Bob.

"Freeze! You're surrounded!"

That part was a lie. Eric had come alone. Wes and the rest of the Silver Guardians were protecting Joey, the Rangers and the Headquarters. But Fresno Bob and his cartel didn't need to know that.

All guns pointed to him and the shots ceased. More confident behind his body guards, Fresno Bob stepped forward. Eric continued to point his gun at him.

"You think you've got me?"

"You're surrounded Bob," Eric nodded. "The best thing you can do for yourself is surrender."

Fresno Bob shook his head and snapped his fingers. One of his men started to move closer over to Gia but had his gun still trained on Eric. Eric could no longer threaten everyone at once and had to make a choice. If he kept his gun pointed at Fresno Bob, nothing could stop the man going after Gia. If he tried to protect Gia, he could be shot himself and Fresno Bob could get away.

"Kill the kid," Fresno Bob ordered and Eric had made his decision. He turned to shoot the man but missed. Just as he expected, as soon as he let his guard down, Fresno Bob's body guards fired at him. Fortunately, he was wearing his bullet proof vest, but that didn't stop the bullet having a painful impact. Eric fell onto his back and was winded for a few moments. When he shook the cobwebs, he got up and saw two of Fresno Bob's men holding Gia. One had a gun to her head. She struggled but couldn't get free.

"I guess this means I'm not surrounded?" Fresno Bob asked with a twisted smirk. "Where are your men now, Meyers?"

Eric cursed to himself just before a powerful jet flew overhead, followed by another, and then another. Fresno Bob and Eric both looked up and saw dozen of men falling from the sky with parachutes.

"The air force!" Fresno Bob shouted. "You mean you called in the air force? They'll flatten the entire city! You can't call in the air force."

"I just did," Eric smirked. Fresno Bob turned red in the face with anger and order his three men to start shooting at the parachutes. As soon as he did, Eric started to fire at the man protecting Fresno Bob and Gia struggled more to break free. With the assault on the ground, no one could bother shoot up at the sky.

And fortunately so, the men and women started to land, they pointed their guns at Fresno Bob. Almost as soon as they were outnumbered and Fresno Bob was truly surrounded, he put his hands in the air in surrender.

"You win, Meyers," Fresno Bob growled as he was handcuffed.

A final parachute landed as Fresno Bob and his men were taken away. Eric turned with a bright smile and to Gia's surprise, greeted the woman with a kiss.

"Uh... what's going on here?" she asked as she approached Eric. It was then she got a look at the Air Force Major. "Wait. Taylor?"

"Gia?"

It was Eric's turn to frown with confusion as he looked between his wife and the current yellow Ranger. "Wait, you two know each other?"

"We met on Animarium," Taylor said. She then turned to Gia, "How do you know my husband."

"Husband?" Gia frowned. "Wait, you mean you married this prick?"

"Hey, I just saved your life."

"Technically, you put it in danger."

"You needed your robot back. Two birds, one stone."

Gia crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Eric. He shrugged his shoulders.

"What?"

"Hold up," Taylor turned to her husband, "You had a kid go after Fresno Bob?"

She punched him in the arm, "Eric, you're an idiot!"

"She's not just any kid! She's a Ranger! She could handle it."

"Then why am I here?" Taylor asked and gestured to her uniform.

"I know how much you love scaring the shit out of bad guys," Eric smirked and leaned in for a kiss. Taylor sighed.

"I do."

"So it's win, win, win," Eric said. "Gia gets her Tensou back, I got Fresno Bob, and you got to take your team out for a fun little adventure."

"You know I'll have a lot of explaining to do when I get back to the base," Taylor said. "And I can't exactly tell my boss this was a Ranger mission."

"Hey, they took you back even after you went AWOL for a couple of years without giving you too much shit," Eric shrugged. "You'll be fine."

Taylor rolled her eyes. Eric leaned in for another kiss but this time Gia put her hand in front of his face.

"Um, you guys can love hate on each other later. I do still have to get Tensou back and resurrect myself to my teammates."

"Resurrect?" Taylor frowned again at her husband. "You killed a yellow, didn't you?"

"She's not dead. She's right here."

"I died," Gia nodded. "I was executed by the cartel."

Taylor glared at her husband. Eric shrugged his shoulders.

"Right now I wish I had killed her."

"You might wish you were dead after we talk about this," Taylor said before she turned to Gia, "Your teammates are worried about you, aren't they?"

"They can't be. They think I'm dead."

"Eric, take her home," Taylor told her husband. Eric pointed to his chest.

"Hey, I was shot too! Doesn't that count for anything?"

"We'll talk about it later," Taylor said. She kissed Eric's cheek, "I'll see you at home. Take Gia home. Look after her."

Eric nodded his head and sighed as his wife walked away. He turned back to Gia and rolled his eyes.

"You yellows always stick together, don't you?"

"That's what I'm finding out," she nodded. "I do really want to get back, though."

"I'll take you," Eric promised her.


	20. The Consequences Of Resurrection

For once, the Rangers were watching the action and they weren't part of it. They could see a lot from Eric and Wes' office, especially when the air force flew over the city and dropped a couple dozen men. It baffled the Rangers. They knew Fresno Bob was a threat to the city, but couldn't understand why the air force needed to be called.

When everything seemed to clear up, they didn't question Wes and Eric's tactics. Wes was the first back up to the office and he was smiling brightly as he announced to the Rangers that Fresno Bob had been taken into custody, along with most of the members of his cartel. Joey was with Wes, holding his bloodied shoulder and looking down in shame. He knew he had played a big part in getting Fresno Bob off the streets, but seeing Rebecca again, he was reminded of all the other things he had done over the years.

He didn't get a warm welcome. Not that he expected one. Almost as soon as he got off the elevator he was punched in the face. He fell back in, held his nose and looked at the person who attacked him.

"Stay away from her," Noah growled. Wes helped Joey up to his feet. The younger boy hid behind the Silver Guardian as he tried to avoid the scowls from Rebecca's friends.

Noah continued to seethe at the boy, "Don't you dare go near her, touch her, or even think about her again."

"Whoa, Noah," Orion pulled his friend back not because he didn't agree with him, but because he was surprised it was Noah physically threatening Joey. "Dial it back just a little bit."

Noah huffed and held his girlfriend in his arms again. Rebecca was still very upset over everything but she couldn't help but face Joey. Now that the danger had passed, she wanted an explanation from him.

Joey didn't know what to tell her, though. He shrugged his shoulder and muttered out the only thing that seemed right.

"I'm sorry, Becky."

"How could you?" she asked him. "This whole... everything. You just... you let it happen?"

"Rebecca, I... I never wanted to hurt you. When I found out you were one of the new recruits..."

"You're a liar!" Rebecca shouted and almost broke free from Noah's embrace. He held her back, mostly because he didn't want her anywhere near Joey. "You just stood there and you watched! You let her die! You just let this all happened! You're not Joey! You're a monster!"

"Coming back home was hard for me, Becky. My parents stayed in Africa and I... I forgot what it was like here. I was homeschooled in Africa and when I went back to public school... I took a wrong turn somewhere and..."

"You don't have an excuse! Gia's dead because of you! There are probably more..."

"Joining Fresno Bob was the worst decision I ever made," Joey agreed with her. "I regret a lot of what I've done. But Rebecca, you have to believe me. I never wanted to hurt you."

"You're disgusting!" Rebecca spit. "I hate you!"

"Becky."

"I hate you!" Rebecca tried to go for Joey again but Noah held her back and Wes stepped in the way. Eric's plan still wasn't completely clear to him and he had hoped his partner would be here to explain it, but it seemed the Rangers couldn't wait any longer.

"Joey's a double agent," he said. "He's Eric's nephew and when Eric found out what he was getting into, he used Joey to his advantage. Joey's been helping us get enough information on Fresno Bob so we could take him down today. Without him, none of this would be possible."

"My uncle cleared my head," Joey nodded. "He got me thinking straight again. I know once this all blows over, he and my aunt are going to help me out. Well, if I survive her wrath, that is. Rebecca, I really didn't mean to hurt you."

Joey looked pleadingly at his old friend. He and Rebecca had been so close before he moved away. Her friendship meant everything to him even when they lost touch. He knew he couldn't expect it, especially if Gia wasn't going to turn up, but he desperately wanted things to be okay between them.

"Please," he begged her. "I know it all looks bad, but when I was asking you to leave, when I tried to get you away from Fresno Bob, that was the real me. Everything else was just to save my bacon. To save all three of us."

"It didn't work," Rebecca shook her head. "You watched Gia die."

"It was all a plan, Becky. We had a plan. Gia wasn't supposed to... I mean, she's not... I mean, I don't know but..."

"You let me kill her."

"No, Becky, I..." before Joey could explain himself, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. The room fell completely silent. Rebecca wasn't sure why until she heard a familiar voice.

"Did someone order a Technologically Engineered Naturalistic Sentient Operational Unit?" Gia asked as she wheeled Tensou out of the elevator. He was still deactivated, but then Gia produced a disk from her pocket, "Some assembly required."

"Gia?" Jake and Emma both asked at once as they ran to the yellow Ranger and engulfed her in a hug so powerful it knocked all three of them to the ground. Troy, Noah and Orion glanced to each other in wordless shock as they tried to process what had happened. They had heard everything about Gia's execution from Gia's earpiece and had been certain about her death. Now, they were almost certain they were staring at her ghost.

Not to mention, she had Tensou with her. The team was whole again, miraculously.

But as much as everyone was happy to see Gia, no one was more elated, and furious, than Rebecca. She didn't know what to do with herself or even how to respond until Gia got away from Emma and Jake and walked up to her.

"Kid..."

Rebecca punched Gia, hard, in the chest, "You fucking asshole!"

Then she immediately hugged Gia, but only for a second before pulling away and punching her again. And then hugging her once more.

"You died! You bitch! I love you! How could you do this to me? Don't you ever leave me again!"

"That's a mixed reaction," Gia muttered and wasn't sure what to expect next from the younger girl. Rebecca breathed in deeply.

"So, what the fuck?"

"It was Joey," Gia chuckled and pointed over her shoulder to the boy. Rebecca glared at him angrily.

"You..."

"Becca, he's on our side. Kind of," Gia put her hands on Rebecca's shoulders. "After the bank, when we were taken home, Fresno Bob put Joey in charge of prepping me for the execution. He filled me in on everything. His uncle, how he was trying to take Fresno Bob down, and his plan for getting me out alive."

"But how are you alive?" Rebecca asked. "You... there was blood! Your blood! It felt and smelled like real blood and..."

"Fresno Bob's solution," Joey explained. "He's faked his death a few times over the years. It's one of the reasons he was so good at what he did. I tricked out the bullet proof vest so that blood would pour out when you shot her."

"Why didn't anyone tell me the plan?" Rebecca looked up at Gia, hurt. Gia hugged her again.

"I didn't get the chance. And Joey insisted everything needed to look real."

"But I could have been more of a badass if I had known!"

"Would you have pulled the trigger if you knew I was the target?" Gia asked. Rebecca hesitated for a moment and then shook her head. If she had been absolutely certain her target had been a person, or worse, a friend, then even with a bullet proof vest, she doubted she would have taken the chance. Blind and without gun training, there was a huge chance she would miss.

But that thought only angered her further. She punched Gia in the chest again.

"What if I had shot you in the head?"

"That was a gamble," Gia admitted.

Rebecca punched her again, "No more gambling with your life! You promised!"

"Rebecca..."

"I don't want to be sister orphaned too!" Rebecca shouted. "What if I had missed, shot you in the head and killed you for real?"

"Fresno Bob was really going to execute me. The bullet proof vest and you having no idea what was going on was really my best shot," Gia assured her. "It was risky, but it's the reason we're both alive right now."

Rebecca nodded her head and started to cry. She wrapped her arms tightly around Gia and buried her face in Gia's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry I killed you! I promise, I'll never, ever do it again! Just please, don't you ever die on me."

"Promise," Gia said and looked to all her friends, "All of you, I promise."

"So, um, are we going to jail?" Ziggy asked, raising his hand slightly as he stood with Eric. "Because if we are..."

Joey turned to his uncle and Wes and pointed to Ziggy with a shake of his head, "He's good."

"You sure about that?" Eric asked. "He might have only been a kid but..."

"He was the getaway driver," Joey said. "That was all he did. And he was barely good at that. He's never stolen, he's never killed someone, he wouldn't even hurt a fly. If anyone deserves a second chance, it's Ziggy. And hey, I wouldn't trust him with a gun, but maybe if he worked here..."

"Whoa, baby steps," Eric shook his head. "We'll figure everything out. But we'll keep that in mind.

Eric let go of the back of Ziggy's jacket and then reached out to his nephew, "We've got to get you to a hospital and then I've got to let your aunt know everything we've been up to."

"You're dead tonight," Gia chuckled. Eric glared at her for a moment, then his face softened. He smiled at her.

"You did good out there, Tiger. Both of you. I'd consider bringing you back for undercover work..."

"NO!" the Megaforce Rangers all shouted at Eric. He chuckled.

"I thought so," he turned to his nephew, "Come on. Let's get you some medical attention before you bleed out on me. Your aunt's already pretty peeved I put a yellow in danger."

"A yellow?"

"Long story," Eric said. He pushed the button for the elevator. As they waited, Joey turned to Rebecca one last time.

"Becky, I'm..."

"Give it some time, Joey," Rebecca said. "I can't just get over what happened."

"So... see you later?"

"Hopefully," Rebecca nodded. Joey smiled. The elevator arrived and he stepped inside with his uncle. He still had a lot of regrets and grief for the last few years, but he felt a little better knowing his friendship with Rebecca hadn't been completely ruined.

When they were gone, Wes turned to the Rangers.

"Looks like we've got Fresno Bob and you've got your Tensou back," he said. "All's well that ends well, right?"

"We almost got Tensou back," Noah said and lightly kicked the robot, "Something tells me the cartel broke him."

"Nothing you can't fix, right?" Gia flashed Noah the disk. "I swiped this from the cartels before I went after Fresno Bob. It looks like it belongs to Tensou."

"His memory," Noah smiled and nodded. "We'll need that. It might be a few hours before I can reprogram him, though."

"Still, we should get back on the ship," Troy said. "Before anything else happens."

"Yeah. Hopefully Vrak and Vekar didn't do too much damage to the city while we were away," Orion said. Wes pushed the button for the elevator. When it returned, the Rangers started to board. Only Rebecca and Gia stayed behind, but that was due to the fact that Rebecca was still hugging the yellow Ranger tightly.

"Becca, the elevator's here."

"I'm just happy you're alive."

"Becca, we've got to go."

"I'm so happy I didn't kill you."

"Rebecca, come on. I'm alive, get over it."

"No!" Rebecca hugged Gia even tighter. "I hated being your murderer! I'm so glad that's over with."

"You're going to kill me again if you don't let me breathe," Gia pried Rebecca off and darted into the elevator. Rebecca went back in right after her and swallowed her in another hug.

"You're extremely accurate for someone so blind," Gia grumbled as she tried again to get the younger girl to let go. "Guys, a little help here?"

"You died. This is your punishment," Emma said. "Maybe next time, you'll think twice before being executed."

"This is hell," Gia muttered. Troy nudged her gently.

"If you think this is bad, imagine Tiger," he said. "She thought you were dead too."

"Oh god."

"She's in the lunch room with Ryan. We'll pick her up on the way out."

"Oh god. Fifty pounds of excited tiger... Just shoot me now. Please, just end it."

"That's what got you into this mess," Rebecca said and then nestled back into Gia's arms. "I love you. I'm sorry I shot and killed you.


	21. A Date Ruined

_Author's Note: **Trick or Treat** special! _

_Halloween is just around the corner. Have I written a Halloween chapter? Yes. Will it be included in this story? No. Will you be able to read it? Perhaps ;p._

_Here's a sneak peak of the bonus chapter: A Haunted Halloween:_

* * *

><p><em>"It's worth a shot, right," Jake said. Gia nodded her head just before someone jumped out from behind her and grabbed her arms. She was pulled back only slightly, but it was enough to terrify her. Feeling something pulling his girlfriend away, Jake suddenly snapped. It was his job to protect her; he would do whatever it took.<em>

_"HEY! Hands off, goblin! That's my girlfriend, and unless you want my shoe removed from up your ass you're going to leave her alone! Got it?"_

* * *

><p><em>This will be released with conditions on Halloween (Friday October 31st (my time)) to a select few. Let's see who knows how to win these fun little treats.<em>

* * *

><p>A few days had passed since the Rangers' time in Silver Hills. With Tensou back and fully operational, the ship was also up and running and the Rangers were able to get back home to Harwood County. Fortunately, Vrak and Vekar didn't seem to notice their absence and so hadn't taken advantage. The Rangers were quite grateful, as once they were home, they couldn't imagine having the strength to fight a monster. Fresno Bob had worn them down.<p>

In those days, though, Gia had a little making up to do. While it hadn't exactly been by choice, her undercover work meant she had to convince Rebecca and her friends, as well as Fresno Bob's cartel, that she had been executed. Her friends were understandably not happy about that, especially Rebecca, who thought she had been the one to take Gia's life. On the first day back, Gia had to do all she could to convince the younger girl that there were no hard feelings, that she was okay, and remind Rebecca that she wasn't a cruel, cold, murderer. It had all been a ploy.

The next day, Gia had to focus on Emma. She needed to reassure her best friend that it hadn't been her intention to fake her death, or even actually put herself in a position that would get her killed. Gia had underestimated just how finicky Fresno Bob was with keeping clean, untraceable crimes. Gia also had to promise Emma that next time she faked her death; she would have to keep Emma in the loop.

The third day, Gia focused on Jake. He had been very upset when he thought she was dead, but understood it hadn't been her decision. Still, Gia knew he wasn't very happy and wanted to make it up to him. After all, he was often the one who had to take hits in the relationship. She wanted him to know she hadn't meant to scare him.

So she treated him to a day date. She brought him breakfast in bed and then took him down to the clearing in the woods with a bag of soccer balls. It had been a long time since Jake had played a real game, and likely a long time still before he was back on a real field. However, Jake always did like just playing around and showing off what he could do. Gia wanted to give him that chance. She packed a picnic basket so they could be out all day, and even asked Jake if he could teach her a few tricks.

"Thanks for this," he told her with a smile as Gia practiced her keep ups. Gia glanced up at him, but it was her mistake when she lost track of the ball and it hit the ground. Jake chuckled. "Whoops. Sorry."

Gia picked up the ball and started her attempt again. She had gotten pretty good from her numerous tries but wasn't nearly anywhere as good as Jake.

"Don't mention it," she smiled at him. "It's just my way of letting you know that you do mean a lot to me."

"Huh?"

Seeing Jake's confusion, Gia caught the ball and turned to him. "I know who I am, Jake. I volunteered myself for that mission. I knew the dangers. I know I got lucky with the fake execution, but without Joey, it could have been a real one."

"Yeah, we're lucky there. But what's that got to do with how much you care about me?" Jake asked. "Gia, you don't need to prove anything. I know you love me."

"You've just made it really clear how miserable you'd be if you lost me," Gia said. "And, knowing that, I still put myself in danger. But I just wanted you to know, I'm not doing that because I don't care what'll happen to you if something happens to me."

"Okay..."

"The hardest part about faking my death was knowing how you'd react when you found out. As much as I knew I had a job to focus on, I couldn't wait for it to be over, just so you wouldn't have to hurt anymore."

"I was hard," Jake nodded. "But I get it. You were backed into a corner..."

"Jake, you mean everything to me. I want to make you happy. You have to know that. But you also need to know I'd hate to be the one that makes you miserable. I'd hate it if anything I did or said caused you any pain."

"I know," Jake said. He took the ball out of her hands and pulled her in close.

"I swear, I'm not trying to be reckless just to be difficult. I don't like putting myself in danger anymore just because I know how much it upsets you."

"But sometimes, that can't be helped," Jake said. He leaned in for a quick kiss and then smiled down at his girlfriend. "We've got a dangerous job. Sometimes, we have to gamble with our lives. I get it, Gia."

"I just wanted to make sure you know... well, you know," Gia bit her lip nervously. "You're... well... You're the reason I'm glad I didn't end up walking off that Cliff a few months back. You've given me something to live for; something to believe in."

"You're getting sappy," Jake chuckled. He kissed her again and then offered her his arm, "Want a punch to really make it a moment."

"I'm okay with you," Gia shook her head and smiled brightly. Jake chuckled, kissed her again and then picked up his soccer ball. He pointed off into the distance.

"Hey, see those trees. Where their branches cross over?"

"Barely," Gia nodded. "Why?"

"I'll bet you a kiss I can hit it right on the X."

"You bet a kiss?"

"I get it, I get to kiss you," Jake said. "I miss, you get to kiss me."

"Not really a gamble," Gia shrugged, "But go for it, Hot-Shot. That's pretty far."

"Hey, watch me," Jake smirked. He played with the ball for a moment, just to get a good feel of it in his hands. When he felt ready he took a deep breath, made sure he knew exactly where he wanted the ball to go and then drop kicked it. The ball soared through the air, across the forest until it hit right on Jake's target.

"Yes!" he smiled and then turned to Gia for his prize kiss. She laughed, unable to believe he had actually made the shot, but then pulled away when she thought she heard something odd. She walked through the woods to get the ball, with Jake right behind her. When they found it, they saw a squirrel dead next to it.

"Uh... whoops," Jake breathed nervously as he picked up his ball. "Sorry little guy."

"Not a word about that to Emma," Gia shook her head. "Or we won't hear the end of it."

"Yeah, of course," Jake nodded and they were about to head off when they heard a twig snap behind them. As soon as they turned around they found themselves face to face with a group of X-Borgs led by the latest alien. Jake rolled his eyes and sighed, "Of course they'd choose to crash our date. We can't just have a moment without someone ruining it."

"Get him!" the alien commanded. Jake's first instinct was to protect Gia, but it then sunk in what the monster had said. He frowned and looked over his shoulder.

"Who? Me?" he asked. This was a first. Vrak had a habit of targeting Gia while Vekar seemed to go after the Rangers as a whole, generally only making targets out of Rangers who were isolated. For a monster to want him specifically when he had done nothing to make himself a target was very weird.

"What my Levira wants, she gets!" the alien confirmed. "X-Borgs, capture him alive!"

"Levira?" Gia asked Jake but they had no time to discuss it. The X-Borgs charged towards them. Hearing Jake was the target, Gia tried to get between them and him to keep him safe, but the X-Borgs didn't even bother with her. They pushed her aside and tried to go after the green Ranger.

"Hey! What did I do?" Jake asked as he tried to hold them off, but with so many coming after him at once, he wasn't sure how to do that. "What do you guys want with me?"

"I'd rather not find out," Gia said. She grabbed an X-Borg and tried to take his attention off Jake, but nothing could. She knocked the one down and then moved onto the next. She figured maybe if she started to destroy enough of them, she would take a little heat off Jake. But even when she was pummeling one into the ground, they were all so focused on her boyfriend. "Jake! Morph!"

"I'm trying!" Jake announced as he tried to get up into one of the trees, only for two X-Borgs to grab him by the back of the shirt and pull him back down. "I just can't catch a break! Now I know what you mean!"

"Oh, great, now you get it!" Gia rolled her eyes. Without the X-Borgs attention on her, she had plenty of time to morph then called her friends. But though that meant she could take the X-Borgs out a little faster, it didn't draw their attention away from Jake. She was almost halfway through the group, and just mere steps away from Jake when the alien stepped in, pulling her away.

"Don't mess with my plans!" he cried out. "Levira asked for the green Ranger specifically, and what my beautiful princess wants, she gets! Now out of my way!"

"You're seriously screwed up," Gia said. "And you're not getting Jake!"

"Think again!" the alien chuckled. "X-Borgs, let's grab him and go! The sooner we get him home the sooner Levira will fall all over me with gratitude."

"How about, no?" Jake asked. He kicked an X-Borg in the chest and started to run in hopes of getting a little breathing room, but quickly tripped over a root and landed face first in the dirt. Before he could pick himself up, the X-Borgs grabbed his arms and legs and lifted him in the air. "Hey! No! Stop it! Put me down, you tin cans!"

"You're not going anywhere with him!" Gia screamed. She turned away from her fight with the alien and struck the back of the X-Borg holding Jake's right foot. That gave Jake a little wiggle room to try and free himself, but not much. And before Gia could attack the others, the alien came up behind her.

"Stop messing up my plans!" he shouted. He struck her twice and then shot her with his blaster.

"No!" Jake cried. He tried to kick his leg again, hoping the X-Borgs would make a mistake and let him go, but another grabbed him and four of them held him still.

"Let's take him back," the alien commanded.

Gia shook the cobwebs as she looked up from the ground. She grabbed her head and started to look around, but the alien, the X-Borgs, and Jake were all gone. "Jake!"

"Gia!" Emma called as she and the others, morphed, finally arrived. Emma dropped by Gia's side and right away began looking at the cut on her cheek. "Are you okay?"

"They got Jake," Gia shook her head.

"Who's they?"

"X-Borgs and some guy Levira sent," Gia looked up at Troy, "We've got to get him back. Levira wanted him specifically!"

"Let's get you cleaned up first," Troy suggested. "We'll figure something out from there."


	22. To Love An Earthling

"You're not just going to go in guns blazing, are you?" Emma asked as she cleaned out the cut on Gia's cheek. She looked to her best friend worriedly. "Gia..."

"I'm getting Jake back."

"The smart way, right?" Emma asked. She knew Gia had turned a new leaf recently. The yellow Ranger was a lot more cautious where her life was concerned. She didn't jump in head first as often anymore, especially without support from her friends. But with Levira targeting Jake specifically, Emma couldn't help but worry Gia would revert to her old ways.

"I want him home."

"And we'll bring him home," Emma promised. She screwed the cap back on the bottle of rubbing alcohol and then reached for the bandages. "We just need to be smart about it."

"I know," Gia sighed. She looked down at her hands, "What do you think Levira wanted with him? Why Jake?"

"I don't know," Emma shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

"She wanted him alive," Gia looked up at Emma. "That alien told the X-Borgs to capture him alive. You don't think they're going to hurt him..."

"I hope not."

"Because if they wanted him dead, I mean, he'd be in trouble, but maybe he wouldn't suffer very long. I mean, at least, that's what I could hope for. You know, if I couldn't get him home alive. But if she wants him alive, she's got plans. They aren't exactly playing dress up, right?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders. Gia was right. There were pros and cons to both. Emma wasn't sure if it was better Jake was needed alive, but it meant there was a better chance they could get him home."

"Serena told me about Nighloks," Gia said. "I know they're gone, but they used to feed off misery. Nighloks didn't really concern themselves with killing people as much as making them suffer. What if Levira and Vekar are doing something like that?"

"Gia," Emma grabbed her best friend's arms and tried to smile comfortingly, "We'll get Jake home, alright? Stop worrying about what might be going on."

"Em..."

"He'll be home. I promise," Emma put the band aid on her best friend and then walked out to the deck with the others. She found Noah sitting at the table and working on his laptop. She knew the blue Ranger was worried for Jake so sat down next to him. On his screen were videos from Jake's previous fights, along with the different energy readings he was giving off. Noah shook his head when he saw Emma had come to join him.

"I just don't get it," he said. "What could Levira want with Jake?"

"It's not the first time only one of us has been targeted," Emma pointed out. "Maybe it's just Jake's turn."

Noah sighed, "It just... it doesn't make sense," He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes before getting back to work. "Jake's great, don't get me wrong, but he's the last guy I'd assume the Armada would bother with."

"Jake's an amazing Ranger," Emma defended. "And he's your best friend. How could you..."

"It just doesn't make sense. The Armada knows if they want to stir up trouble, they go after Gia. She's unpredictable even to herself. Once she's wound up, there's no telling how much trouble we're in for."

"We all know that," Emma nodded her head sadly.

"Troy's red, and even though Gia's taken over as captain, red's always the guy to go after when you're plotting something big. He gets all the toys, the powers and he's the city's hero. You want to cause despair and make us feel small, you go after Troy."

"I guess morale would be pretty low if something happened to him," Emma agreed, "But..."

"You're the heart of gold," Noah continued. "You believe in everyone and everything. Like the eternal optimist. When we're on the verge of giving up, you're the one who's supposed to lift our spirits and remind us what we're fighting for. Without you, we could really fall off the path. Not to mention, I wouldn't be surprised if Vekar wanted his wife back."

"Can you not?" Emma huffed. "I locked him in his own prison when he tried that. I'm pretty sure he and I both want a divorce."

"Till death do you part," Noah chuckled. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Alright smart ass, what reason could the Armada want for going after you or Orion?"

"Orion's the new guy. The sixth Ranger. He's got access to powers that we can't possess. Obviously that'll be useful for the Armada."

"And what makes you so special?"

"I'm the brains," Noah said. "I understand all this Ranger tech. I can make it work, or I can shut it down. I can even shut down Tensou if I wanted. If the Armada got me working for them, you guys would really be screwed."

"You're kind of tooting your own horn right now," Emma warned him. Noah chuckled.

"Sorry. But that's just it. We're all good at what we do. Jake's a jack of all trades. He's not the smartest, but believe me, Jake can come up with some pretty good ideas."

"Yeah, I've seen some," Emma nodded.

"He's not the strongest fighter like Troy, but he's far from being the weakest either. He's got a bit of a temper that can make him dangerous, like you say with Cliff, but he can pretty keep it under control. He knows how to pull us together when we start to fall apart. We have specific strengths. We're good at one thing. Jake's pretty good at everything."

"Isn't that ideal, though?"

"For the Armada, potentially, but that doesn't help me figure out why they chose him. Why would Levira want to target him specifically?"

"Maybe it's not Jake they're after," Troy suggested as he walked over to the table. "Maybe it's what losing him will do to us. Jake's your best friend, Noah. You're obviously not going to take his abduction sitting down."

"I guess I am working a little harder than usual," Noah commented as he took another look at his screen. Of course, whenever the Armada seemed to have a plan, Noah always did a little research to see if he could figure it out, but analyzing past battles almost frame by frame was something he was only doing now because it was Jake who was in trouble.

"Gia does seem pretty upset too," Emma commented as she turned back to the room she shared with her best friend. "I'm not sure what she's going to do, but she's scared something's going to happen to him. And I guess seeing her like that gets to me."

"And I'm not exactly the most level headed guy when people I care about are in trouble," Troy pointed out. "The only person this might not affect so much is Orion."

"Hey, just because I worked in the mines doesn't mean my heart's made of stone," Orion said as he walked over. "I want Jake home as much as the rest of you, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"We all are," Noah agreed. "But it's too dangerous to try anything without knowing what the Armada want with him. Jake's in their hands and anything we do could hurt him. If I could just figure out what they want."

"Keep working, Noah," Troy encouraged him. "As for the rest of us, we should get some training in. Is Gia going to be..."

"I think Gia still needs a minute," Emma shook her head. "I'll check up on her again in a bit.

-Megaforce-

Vekar threw his hands in the air and stomped his feet as he stormed around the control room.

"Levira, will you please just do as I tell you?" he cried out. "If you've managed to capture a Ranger we should take advantage of this to just destroy him!"

"No one's going to hurt my Jakey-poo!" Levira said as she stood before Jake protectively. Right behind her, Jake was scratching his head. When the alien that had captured him told him he had been the target, Jake had assumed it was for something big. The Armada wanting to use his powers against the Rangers, or using him as hostage to get the Rangers to surrender. Anything but the real reason.

Levira seemed to be madly in love with him.

"Jakey-poo?" Vekar frowned and turned to Argus. "What is a Jakey-poo?"

"A term of endearment, I believe," Argus answered. Jake stuck out his tongue.

"I'm not really endeared by it," he said.

Levira approached Vekar, pulling on Jake's chains as she walked and forcing him to follow, "Your highness, I understand my dear, handsome Jake is one of the Rangers you've been trying to destroy for months but I just... I don't know what it is about him but he's just the most adorably, attractive monster... I mean, man I've ever laid eyes on."

"You find this attractive?" Vekar gestured to Jake with a look of disgust. "But... he's not... I mean... he's an Earthling."

"You're married to an Earthling..."

"Ugh! Don't remind me!" Vekar spun away from Levira and sat down on his throne. "That was a huge mistake! Take it from me, Levira: Earthlings are a despicable, vile, useless species. Once I claim this planet, I'm going to make sure I never have to come face to face with one again. That includes this... Jakey-poo!"

"Alright, it's weird enough when she says it," Jake said but Levira yanked his chains, pulling him in closer and then she wrapped her arm around him and started to pet his head.

"Shh, my beloved. Let me do the talking," she assured him and then looked up at Vekar, "Please, just let me keep this one. He's all I want. After all. I have serve you faithfully since you were just a mere boy..."

"And you want this as your reward?" Vekar asked and then rolled his eyes, "Oh, fine. If that's all you want, I guess that just means more jewels and money in my pocket. Alright, you can keep him. But make sure he stays out of my sight and doesn't cause any trouble."

"Thank you, Vekar," Levira said and bowed. Jake grumbled as Levira continued to hold and stroke him.

"Aw, man. This isn't right..."


	23. A Love Worth Fighting For

Gia could hear her friends training out on the deck, but she couldn't bring herself to get up and join them. She knew they were likely running over different strategies to get Jake back home and that it would be good for her to take part to help her boyfriend, but she didn't think it was best. Instead, she lay on her bed and played the latest battle over and over again, hoping for an answer. All she knew thus far was that Levira had been the one who wanted Jake. Gia wanted to know why.

None of her ideas made enough sense to be the reason, and Gia couldn't think of anymore when the alarm sounded. Hopeful this would bring her one step closer to getting Jake home, she sprinted out of bed and over to Noah's laptop. Despite being the furthest away, she was the first one there.

"What's going on?" Orion asked her but Gia shook her head.

"It's the same guy as before," she said. "Levira's guy. But he doesn't seem dangerous."

"He kind of looks like you," Emma chuckled and nudged her best friend playfully. "Looks like he's angry about something."

"We probably should still check it out," Troy suggested and the Rangers all agreed. Monsters were dangerous. Even when they weren't causing trouble, the Rangers couldn't just let them roam around the Earth.

-Megaforce-

Jake couldn't be any more sick than he was as he twirled around Levira's quarters. Once she had gotten him alone, she had turned on what Jake could only assume was music, took him in her arms again and started to dance. Jake had never been a great dancer and Gia was never afraid to tell him that. However, the chains made him even less coordinated. Levira spun him around, Jake couldn't find his balance fast enough and landed face first on the floor.

"Oh, my sweet Jakey!" Levira shut off the music and dropped to his side. Jake started to pull himself up, but Levira was quick to take over. She grabbed him under the arms and hoisted him up onto his feet again. Then she started to brush him off. "I'm so sorry, handsome! I guess I'm a lot stronger than I realize."

"Maybe I'm just not the right guy for you," Jake suggested. It was clear Levira's infatuation with him was deep, but Jake was hoping he could convince her they weren't meant to be together. "I mean, you're an alien and I'm a human."

"I know we have our differences," Levira said as she brushed her fingers through his hair, and then leaned in to sniff him. "But I don't care. I love you, Jakey, and I want to spend the rest of my life by your side."

Levira leaned in again, this time to kiss him. Jake held up his hands and gently pushed her back.

"Ugh, the feeling's not mutual," he turned his head away when Levira pushed against him. "Come on, you've got to stop! This is crazy! Yesterday we were trying to kill each other. I mean, I know I'm the whole package, but this is just ridiculous!"

"Our love is strange, but that's what makes it beautiful," Levira wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him in. She was much stronger than he was and Jake could no longer get away. "You and I are going to love each other until the end of time, no matter what anyone else says!"

"Yeah, I think Gia's going to argue with you there," Jake muttered. Levira heard him and pulled away slightly.

"Gia? The yellow Ranger? What's she got to do with this?"

"Oh... uh, well... she's uh..."

"You don't have feelings for her, do you, Jakey-poo?" Levira asked. Her face started to fall slowly into a deep frown. Jake gulped.

"I... uh... I mean..."

"Of course you would!" Levira cried and shoved him to the ground as she began to pace the room. "What does she have that I don't?"

"Everything," Jake made sure to whisper this time as he rolled his eyes. Levira continued to fume.

"She's nothing but an insolent pest! A thorn in the Armada's side!" Levira turned to Jake and knelt before him. She gently stroked his chest, "But I won't let her come between us, my love. I'll take her out of the picture and then we can spend the rest of our lives together!"

"Wait, what?" Jake asked. Levira didn't answer him. She grabbed his arm. The next thing Jake knew, they were in the city plaza. Jake wasn't sure why Levira wanted to come here until he spotted his friends. They seemed to be talking to the monster that Levira had sent to kidnap him until they noticed him too. Worried he had said something to Levira that would set her off, Jake tried to warn them, "Guys! Something really weird is going on..."

"Shh, my darling," Levira said. She tightened the chains around his wrists and ankles so he couldn't move and then stepped away from him. She turned to the Rangers. "Yellow!"

"What?"

"I want you!"

"See, this makes sense," Noah said to his teammates. Emma smacked the back of his helmet. Gia ignored his comment and glared at Levira. She had seen the alien had come with Jake and knew this was her chance to get him back.

"Now you want her!" the other alien, Invidious, cried out and stomped his feet angrily. "No! This... this isn't fair!"

"She stands between me and my love!" Levira then glanced over her shoulder quickly, "Don't you worry, Jakey. I'll take care of her quickly."

"No!" Jake shouted as Levira charged straight at Gia. The others tried to get in the way, but Levira had her target. Jake wriggled in his chains but they were too tight to move around. He accidentally threw himself off balance and hit the ground. "Okay, bad call."

"This is my chance!" Invidious smirked. Levira had left Jake's side to attack the Rangers, leaving Jake wide open. And with him all tied up, Invidious could dispose of him quickly. His body started to burn and balls of fire appeared in his hands. "You'll pay for taking my Levira!"

"Huh, what?" Jake looked the other way and saw Invidious preparing for an attack. He started to squirm again. "Hey! No! You can have her!"

"Jake!" seeing the green Ranger in trouble, Gia bolted away from her friends and Levira and stood in Jake's defense, knocking aside the fire balls as Invidious threw them. It wasn't ideal for her teammates to leave them another Ranger short against Levira but she knew even they would agree, someone needed to protect Jake.

Not that it seemed to matter where their wellbeing was concerned. Levira paid no attention to the red, blue, pink and silver Rangers. As soon as Gia took off, Levira went with her.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Orion asked as he took a moment to breathe. He leaned against his trident with a very curious look beneath his helmet.

"What's with the sudden obsession with Jake and Gia?" Troy agreed. "It's like the four of us don't even matter."

"That freak seems jealous," Emma said as she pointed to Invidious. "You heard him. He couldn't stop whining because Levira had fallen for someone else."

"He did seem to have a huge crush on her," Troy nodded. "Wait, hold up. You don't think Jake's the guy Levira's fallen in love with?"

Meanwhile, still in the middle of a fight, Levira had seen Invidious' attempt to destroy Jake and knew she couldn't let him get away with such an act. She turned away from the Rangers to confront the alien who was supposed to be at her beck and call.

"What are you doing?" she shouted as she stood before him, protecting Jake from any further attack. Invidious' flames dwindled when she approached him.

"I won't let this stand!" Invidious shouted. "This... this joker needs to be destroyed for what he's done."

"Joker?" Jake frowned as Gia helped him sit up. "Hey, take a look in the mirror, bud. The only joker around here is you."

"My Jakey is no joke!" Levira said. "I won't let you hurt him!"

"Huh?" Gia turned to Jake and tilted her head for an explanation. He sighed.

"You probably won't believe me, but that freak's in love with me."

"In... what?"

"She's crazy, Gia," Jake nodded and held up his wrists to show Gia his chains. "She sent that other guy after me because she wants me! She convinced Vekar to let me stay on the ship! She calls me all these weird affectionate, disgusting names and we danced!"

"You... danced?"

"She ever tried to kiss me!"

"Oh, hell no," Gia clenched her fists and got back to her feet. She glared at Levira, "You tried to kiss him?"

"Who could resist those gorgeous lips," Levira nodded. She turned and pointed to Gia, "And once you're out of my way, Jakey-poo will have eyes only for me!"

"No one will have eyes for Levira but me!" Invidious shouted as he powered up again. Fire consumed him and once again he summoned balls of flames. But these ones were bigger than before and seemed to move a lot faster once they were thrown.

"Jake, make yourself small," Gia told him as she stood in front of him. Levira shook her head.

"No one defends Jakey but me!" she shouted and pushed Gia out of the way to deflect Invidious' attack herself. Once he was burnt out, Levira set her sights again on Gia.

A little ways off, the other Rangers were extremely confused, but none more so than Orion.

"Alright, wait. What does love triangle mean again?" he asked.

"Well, you know how Jake and Gia are a couple, right?" Troy said. "Well, now, I guess Levira likes Jake too. Since there are three people, it makes a triangle."

"This might be a love square, though," Emma shook her head. "He-monster's in love with Levira, and Levira loves Jake, but Jake loves Gia..."

"Wait, wait, slow down," Orion frowned. "Love Square?"

"Four people," Noah explained.

"So... who's in love with who?"

"He-monster loves Levira. That's why he's attacking Jake," Noah said. "It's a competition for Levira's love. I guess he thinks the winner will get her as a prize."

"He-monster loves Levira. Got it," Orion nodded. "And Levira's in love with Jake? That's why she's going after Gia and defending Jake? She doesn't want to lose him, and doesn't want Gia as competition because Jake and Gia are already a couple?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Exactly."

"So, wait," Orion frowned again, "Who loves the He-monster then?"

"No one, I guess," Noah answered. Emma sighed.

"Aw, I actually kind of feel bad for him now."

"Here's my question," Noah scratched his helmet, "Why would Levira be in love with Jake in the first place?"

"That's what I'm still trying to figure out," Troy said with a little nod. "This is all too weird."

Back on the battle field, Jake didn't know where to look. On the one hand, he had to worry for his own safety. Invidious seemed to have his sights set on destroying him, and with his chains, Jake couldn't defend himself. On the other hand, Levira and Gia were locked in a very complicated battle between each other, but also against Invidious. Whenever Jake was under attack, the two of them would come to his aid in some way. Invidious would relent because he didn't seem to want to hurt Levira, but that only gave Levira the opening she needed to go after Gia once again.

"Nothing's going to stand between me and Jakey!" Levira shouted. Gia begged to differ. She grabbed the yellow Mighty Morphin' Key from her belt and powered up to summon her Power Daggers. Jake got to cheer for a moment as Gia swiped at Levira repeatedly; inflicting what looked like some pretty deep wounds. However, the tables quickly turned. When Invidious was resting from his most recent attack on Jake, he finally noticed the battle going on between Levira and the yellow Ranger. With Gia currently attacking Levira, Invidious' rage grew once more. This time, rather than go after the helpless green Ranger, he turned to Levira and Gia.

"My love, stand aside!" he shouted. Levira turned to him in confusion, but seeing him preparing a new attack she felt the need to protect Jake. She bolted over to the green Ranger, leaving Gia wide open to Invidious' attack.

"No! No! No!" Jake shouted as a fire ball was thrown directly at the yellow Ranger. It struck her hard, forcing her to power down complete and threw her across the plaza to the other Rangers. Levira saw this as well and turned to Invidious in confusion. He rushed over to her.

"My love, are you okay?" he tried to inspect her wounds. Levira pushed him away.

"What did you do that for? I don't need your protection!"

"Of course not, beautiful," Invidious nodded and bowed, "But I wasn't going to let this Ranger get away with hurting you! I'll never let anyone hurt you."

"You wouldn't? Of course not! You're the butler, it's your..."

"Levira, I only accepted the position as butler because I heard you were working alongside the Prince," Invidious took Levira's hands. "Please, Levira, just forget about this Earthling. It is I who loves you, and only I who can truly appreciate you."

"You mean, you did all this because you love me?" Levira asked. Invidious nodded his head and pulled Levira in for a kiss. Jake, seeing his captor was distracted, started to try and wriggle away. He didn't manage to get far, but fortunately Noah and Troy made their way over and pulled him over to safety.

"Finally, you guys do something," he said. "You guys do remember you are the Power Rangers and not just watching them on TV right."

"Sorry," Troy chuckled. "This all got just a little confusing."

"How confusion can this get?" Jake frowned. "See the ugliness? You kill them."

"We'll try to remember that for next time," Noah assured him. "Now just hold still."

"Huh, for..." Jake didn't need to ask, only cringe when he saw Troy bring down his sabre. He closed his eyes, expecting this to hurt somewhat, but only felt his chain fall away after a moment. He breathed a sigh of relief and got to his feet. "Dude, thanks."

"No sweat."

"Jake!" he heard Gia call his name and turned around. She ran towards him and then jumped in his arms. Jake hugged her tight and smiled.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm glad this is all over with," Jake chuckled.

"So, what exactly was going on?" Noah asked. "Did Levira really have a thing for you?"

"I'll explain at home," Jake said before he looked around, "Where did she go?"

"Back to the Armada ship, we're guessing," Emma answered. "Invidious declared his love for her, kissed her, and then they said something about a wedding."

"So... wait," Orion frowned. "Now Levira and the He-monster are in love, and Levira doesn't like Jake anymore."

"Hopefully," Gia said as she rested her head on Jake's shoulder. Jake smiled.

"Yeah, I can't help but agree there," he said. "I mean, I always thought it would be awesome having girls chase after me and fight over me but it's really not."

"I'm still confused..."

"I'll explain it all once we get back," Jake assured Orion with a pat on the shoulder. "Let's just get home before some other monster decides to fall in love."


	24. True Love

"It was pretty hot."

"No shit," Gia muttered and rolled her eyes. She was in her bathroom, once again cleaning herself off. She hadn't suffered any major injuries in her battle with Levira and Invidious, but the final attack had been strong and had left her with a few burns along her arms, chest and stomach. Tensou had already assured her they were nothing bad so she insisted she would look after them herself. "It was fire."

"I mean what you were doing," Jake said. He moved in closer and took the cream from Gia's hand. He looked to her questioningly and when she gave him a nod, he started to rub it in for her gently. "Fighting for me against Levira."

"She wasn't half as bad as Michaela," Gia muttered. Jake looked to her with a little laugh.

"I'd forgotten about her. Yeah, she was pretty rotten, wasn't she? But you weren't my girlfriend at the time."

"That didn't mean I liked people taking advantage of you," Gia said. "And anyways, just the thought of Levira wanting anything to do with you... kinda pisses me off."

"Hey, I'm not exactly thrilled about it either," Jake chuckled. "It was the weirdest thing I've ever lived through. But it's made me appreciate what you went through a lot more."

Gia turned to him and tilted her head slightly. Jake took her hands, "With Cliff. Levira didn't do too much with me. We danced. Not very well, mind you. But just... not knowing if she'd try anything else, and I wasn't exactly in a position to stop her. It's pretty scary."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Gia muttered. Jake cupped her cheek softly.

"You're really incredible, you know that?"

"You're the incredible one. Fighting off Levira and that other alien freak was easy. I know Cliff was... a challenge for you."

"To put it lightly, I guess," Jake nodded. He glanced down quickly at the scar over her heart and then looked up into her eyes. "But hey, enough of this. What was the deal with that other freak anyways?"

"Apparently, he had a crush on Levira," Gia said. "I don't know what you got yourself into, but please don't do it again. You're mine, got it."

Jake smiled and nodded his head, "You're jealous, aren't you?"

"Jealous? Of Levira?"

"Maybe threatened is a better word. You didn't want to lose me to her."

"Hey, this isn't fair," Gia frowned and stepped away from Jake, "I've never teased you when Cliff went after me!"

"I was threatened," Jake admitted. "He was a big guy. If I wasn't a Ranger and stuff, he could have easily beaten me into the ground any day of the week. Besides, he got you to have feelings for him once. There's not a chance in hell I'd ever fall for Levira. She's literally monstrous."

Gia rolled her eyes and sighed, "I wasn't jealous or threatened. You were in danger. And just like how you don't want anything to happen to me, I didn't want to see anything happen to you."

"Aw..."

"Shut up," Gia shoved Jake lightly. "Don't make me rescue you from myself. I don't think I can stop me."

"Well, I just wanted to say thanks," Jake pulled her back into his arms. "You really saved my butt back there. And just so you know, if Levira had given me a choice, I would have chosen you."

"Duh."

Jake chuckled and leaned in to kiss Gia. When they pulled apart, he looked to her curiously.

"Hey, so any idea what the others were doing?" he asked. "I mean, I noticed you giving it a hundred and ten percent, but were they just standing around watching?"

"Apparently, Orion doesn't understand love squares."

"Love squares? Like date squares? That sounds good."

"Not food," Gia sighed and shook her head, "You know, love triangles but with four people. They were explaining what was going on. I guess if couples confuse Orion, having a bunch of people fighting for love has to really baffle him."

"They couldn't have done that later, though?" Jake frowned. "I was a bit tied up and you were facing two monsters by yourself."

"To be fair, Invidious was only going after you until the very end."

"I still don't like those odds," Jake muttered. "Next time they're in trouble, remind me to laugh."

"I'll be right there with you," Gia nodded her head. She leaned into Jake and put her arms around him. She rested her head against his chest and just needed to be near him for a moment. Jake held her close and kissed the top of her head.

"Hey, look, joking aside, you had nothing to worry about," he assured her. "And I'm not just saying that because there's no way I could ever fall in love with a monster. No matter who's got eyes for me, I've only got eyes for you. You never have to feel threatened."

"It's not that," Gia said. She looked up at the green Ranger, "I didn't like... not knowing."

"Huh?"

Gia shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the bed. Jake sat down next to her and took her hand.

"I guess the shoe was on the other foot this time," Gia told him. "You know me. You know what I'm like. I'm always first in line for trouble."

"Yeah, that's probably my least favourite part about you," Jake chuckled. Gia looked to him and shook her head.

"At least when I'm in trouble, I know what's going on. I know I'm okay. I know you're looking for me. I know I've got help coming. At the end of the day, I know you're going to be there."

"Sucks when you aren't sure, huh?"

"Yeah," Gia sighed. She looked down at hers and Jake's hand. "I know I've apologized for this about a million times already, but I really, really am sorry for how I used to be. Not knowing if the person you can't live without is safe or even alive is miserable. I'm sorry, again, for doing that to you."

"It's in the past," Jake smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. "You're not as reckless as you were before."

Gia rested her head on Jake's shoulder. He put his arm around her.

"Jake."

"Yeah?"

"You're mine."

Jake couldn't help a smile creeping up on his lips when he heard that. He squeezed Gia lovingly and kissed the top of her head.

"Always."


	25. Wedding Disasters

_Author's Note: Alright, it's Halloween, and like I promised, I'm handing out my bonus Chapter : "A Haunted Halloween". I have my winners for the bonus scene. It will be handed out in review replies (as per usual) to the winners._

* * *

><p>"Dude, I'm just saying, if ever a monster comes after the four of you, you're on your own," Jake said to his teammates after they finished their morning training. It had been a few days already since Levira had fallen in love with him. Jake still couldn't understand what had caused her to develop a huge crush on him when only days before she had been one of the Armada's top commanders in charge of taking him and his friends out. He chalked it down to being better looking that the other monster from the fight and left it at that. He didn't really care much about it except that it was over. However, his friends were still hung up over it and so were talking about the <em>love square<em> battle. Jake couldn't help but through in his two cents about how it had gone. "You guys totally left us hanging! You're lucky Gia's an ass kicker, or you'd be two colours short of a full Ranger Rainbow."

"We needed a minute to collect our thoughts," Orion shrugged his shoulders. Jake shook his head.

"No, you needed to grab your overgrown fork and jab the guy throwing fireballs at me."

"All's well that ends well, right?" Emma suggested hopefully. Jake shrugged and turned away so he could get washed up in the bathroom.

"You might not feel that when if ever Jordan's in trouble and Gia and I are watching with popcorn."

"I... but..." Emma huffed and turned to her best friend. "Come on, Gia. Levira was in love with Jake. We needed a minute to figure out what was going on."

"And I'll need a minute to eat my popcorn," Gia smirked.

"Alright, that wasn't our finest moment," Troy admitted with a slight nod of the head. "But if it had been anyone but Jake Levira had fallen for, you've got to be honest, you would have needed a minute too."

"In case you haven't noticed, I tend to jump into dangerous situations and ask questions later," Gia chuckled.

"Hey, speaking of danger, look at this," Rebecca announced as she walked out of the kitchen with the Rangers' tablet in her hand. She handed it to Gia. "A bride just dumped her new husband seconds after stepping out of the church. It's all over YouTube"

"So?" Gia asked.

"Watch the video."

"Becca, no offence, but what exactly do you expect us to see?" Gia asked her. "I mean, it's not like you can..."

"I can't see what's going on, but I'm hearing something that doesn't sound right."

"Seriously?" Noah asked. He watched the video over Gia's shoulder. He didn't spot anything out of the ordinary with it, aside from the bride completely flipping on her new husband. But Rebecca insisted she heard something strange.

"It's when the bride starts smacking the groom with the bouquet," Rebecca said. "I hear the flowers rustling, but there's something else. A laugh or... I don't know."

Gia played the video again but paused it at the moment the bride started hitting her groom. She still couldn't see what Rebecca wanted her to look at but Emma was quick to point out something that wasn't right with the video.

"There! Look, behind that tree!"

"I knew there was something," Rebecca smirked. "What is it?"

"It looks like a monster," Emma said. Gia played the video again and the Rangers kept their eyes on the monster. They watched him through the video and noticed that, using a staff, he had taken something from the bride. It seemed to be the exact moment where her feelings towards her husband changed.

"Seems Vekar or Vrak are up to something," Troy said. "Question is: what?"

"There's links all over this page," Gia pointed out. "Looks like this bride isn't the only one to lose her temper all of a sudden."

Gia played another video. Again, this one took place at the wedding, but it seemed right before the bride and groom were about to say their vows, something happened to set the groom off. The Rangers watched and winced as he stomped his feet, shoved the minister, cursed out the bride, punched his best man in the face, and then up the aisle only to burst into tears halfway through.

"And there's that monster again," Orion pointed to the corner of the screen, where the monster was hiding behind one of the floral arrangements.

"Wanna bet he's in most of these videos?" Noah said.

"Guys, this is horrible," Emma looked up at her teammates. "He's stealing love or happiness or something from all those poor people!"

"It's not exactly the Armada style," Troy shrugged. "Aren't they all about killing things?"

"And when Vrak's got a plan, it usually involves us," Gia said.

"There's not a new guy coming, is there?" Rebecca asked.

"I guess there's only one way to figure out what's going on," Noah suggested. "What if we staged our own wedding?"

"I'm too young for marriage," Rebecca backed away from her boyfriend. Noah shook his head.

"Not with you. You're staying on the ship," Noah took the tablet from Gia and scrolled through the list of similar videos, "More than half of these take place during a wedding. If Vrak or Vekar are up to something, we've got to figure out what."

"They have been quiet since Levira. This could have been going on under our nose," Orion said. "But why would they want to steal love? Didn't love already fail them?"

"Twice," Gia chuckled and turned to Emma. The pink Ranger huffed.

"I never loved Vekar!"

"Obviously someone's sneaking around without us knowing," Troy said. "I think Noah's onto something. If we stage a wedding, we might be able to draw that monster in. We can figure out what he's up to and hopefully reverse it."

"So, if we're staging a wedding, who's gonna be the bride and groom?" Rebecca asked. All eyes suddenly shifted to Emma. She put her hands up and stepped back.

"What? Hey! Why me?"

"You're Vekar's wife," Orion suggested. "If he is up to something, he might not like to see you getting married to someone else."

"No way," Emma shook her head. "As much as I'd love to be a bride, I've promised myself and Jordan that next time I get married, it's to him."

"You won't actually be getting married," Troy assured her. "You don't have a marriage license and we won't even have a real minister. It'll just look like you're getting married..."

"No, I've done the sham marriage thing once; I'm not doing it again. Besides, I promised Jordan."

"Well, Rebecca can't do it," Noah said. Rebecca nodded rapidly to agree.

"I don't want to do it. Something always happens and I don't want to be caught in the middle of it again. I'm already blind; I'd really love to keep the rest of my senses."

"Who's getting married then?" Orion asked.

"Hey, what are we talking about?" Jake asked as he approached the group after finishing up his shower. He saw they were all gathered around a table and were watching a video title _Wedding Meltdown_. "Hey, who's getting married?"

Troy, Noah, Orion, Emma, and Rebecca turned to each other with little smirks. Jake, hearing their suddenly silence knew right away something was up. He looked to them nervously. "Uh, guys... what's going on?"

"You wouldn't happen to own a tux, would you, Jake?" Troy asked him. Jake frowned worriedly.

"Uh... no. I mean, I've got my suit from junior prom but..."

"Good enough," Emma smiled. Then she turned to where Gia had been standing. "Hey, Gia, I've... Gia?"

"Looks like we've run into our first wedding disaster of the day," Noah sighed. "Runaway bride."

"Bride?" Jake frowned. "Wait, who's marrying Gia? Oh god, don't tell me someone else from the Armada developed a crush."

Jake pushed up his sleeves and clenched his hands, "Alright, just tell me who it is. I'll go after him myself."

"It's you," Noah pat his best friend on the back. "You're getting married."

"Huh? Me?" Jake pointed to himself. He shook his head, "Uh, I don't remember proposing, and with what I have in mind, I think I'd remember if it already happened."

"Come on, Jake. We'll fill you in while we pick up your suit," Troy said as he and Noah started to drag Jake off. "Emma, Orion, Becca, see if you can find Gia. She's got to be somewhere on the ship."

"I'll check below deck," Rebecca suggested. "I remember it can get pretty dark down there. Gia can't hide from me if she went there."

"I'll check the crow's nest," Orion said as he started to climb the mast. Emma told them she would check the bedrooms. She stepped into the girls' cabin and then shut the door. It seemed everyone else had missed what Jake said, but for Emma, it was now all she could think of.

"_I don't remember proposing, and with what I have in mind, I think I'd remember if it already happened."_

"Jake's thinking of proposing?" Emma whispered to herself.


	26. The Happiest Of All

Jake looked at himself in the mirror. He wasn't normally one to dress up. Perhaps the last time he had, he had been wearing this exact suit for his junior prom over a year ago. He had put a lot of effort into making himself look good considering it had technically been his and Gia's first date.

He smiled when he thought about that day. Gia wasn't one to dress up either but for him, she had put on a dress. Jake would be the first to say Gia looked good no matter what she was wearing, but on that night especially she had been beautiful. He remembered her smile too when he greeted her with flowers and the way she let him hold her close when they danced. He remembered that day had been the first time he had seen a hint of the light in her eyes and how it had only grown brighter and stronger since.

"You're looking good," Noah said as he walked over and straightened out Jake's tie.

"I feel good. This suit's got a lot of good memories."

"You've only worn it once."

"Yeah, but that was the night, dude," Jake smiled. "Mine and Gia's first date. The very beginning of the rest of our lives together."

"You might want to slow down there," Noah chuckled. "This isn't a real wedding. No one's getting married. We're just hoping you'll draw that monster in."

"Yeah, yeah," Jake nodded his head. "Just tell me what I've got to do."

"We're not sure what this guy is after," Noah told him. "He's attacking at a lot of weddings, so he could be going after love. But he's targeting some other victims, so he could be stealing their happiness. Just make sure you and Gia look happy and in love, and we'll try to stop this guy before he causes more trouble."

"Sounds easy enough," Jake nodded. He gave himself one last look in the mirror and then followed Noah out to the church. Troy was standing by the altar to pretend his was the minister while Orion would be outside, keeping lookout so the monster didn't actually make any of the Rangers his next victims. All they were waiting for now was Gia.

-Megaforce-

In another room of the church, Emma had helped Gia slip into a wedding dress they had '_borrowed'_ from a bridal shop on their way over. No one had enough money to afford a real wedding dress so Gia needed to be careful not to ruin it. The Rangers had every intention of returning the dress before it was missed.

"How the hell did you talk me into this?" Gia muttered as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Actually, how did you all talk yourselves into this? You've spent the better part of two years telling me to stop throwing myself into trouble and now you're using me as bait."

"Rebecca's not a Ranger and I've done the wedding thing," Emma shrugged. She finished up with the final touches on Gia's bouquet and offered them to the yellow Ranger.

"You know, no one has to tell Jordan you were the reluctant bride again," Gia suggested to Emma. "I'd be totally fine with you fake marrying Jake."

"Huh? What?"

"I'm trying to convince you to change your mind," Gia told her. She sat down next to Emma, "Hey, is everything okay? Come on, it's my wedding day."

"Everything's fine," Emma nodded and smiled. It was mostly true. Aside from a monster sneaking around the city, Emma didn't really have anything to worry about. But she couldn't get what Jake had said off her mind and it was keeping her very distracted. While helping Gia into her dress, she had accidentally gotten Gia's hair caught in the zipper. It was a mistake that could have easily been avoided if Emma could focus.

But she couldn't. Without anyone else catching on, and likely without Jake even realizing it, he had mentioned wanting to propose.

Emma had thought of her wedding day her whole life. She had always wondered how her future husband would propose, what he would look like, and how their wedding would go. She knew most girls imagined their wedding day. But for guys, it really wasn't the same. Most couldn't be bothered with that stuff growing up. Hell, Jordan had to propose to her twice because his first hadn't been romantic enough.

And Emma knew Jake well. He wouldn't be one of the exceptions. His childhood had been about soccer and playing video games with Noah. Even when he started showing signs of having a major crush on Gia, he had mostly been thinking of ways to ask her out. Emma doubted that when Jake had been caught staring at Gia in class, he had been imagining the most romantic, thoughtful way to propose to her.

So for Jake to have an idea of what he wanted to do left Emma believing he wanted to propose. It was exciting to think soon her best friend would be engaged, but a little troubling as well. Gia hadn't been one of the girls to talk about romance, even before she met Cliff. She never really shared her thoughts on her future wedding with Emma. Probably the most Emma heard was that if Gia ever got married, she would get to be the maid of honour.

Those thoughts left Emma feeling a little conflicted over the whole affair. And Gia's reluctance to be the bride in the fake ceremony really left Emma wondering what would be in Jake and Gia's future.

"You sure?" Gia asked.

"Yeah. I'm just... a little in shock, I guess," Emma said and hoped maybe she could get an answer to that now. "I just never really pictured you as the marrying type. You just never seemed interested the few times we've talked about it."

Gia shrugged her shoulders, "What did you want me to say? It's not like I knew who I'd be marrying all those years ago."

"No, I know, but you've never even mentioned the other stuff," Emma said. "Like the venue or what kind of dress you'd like."

"One that's not stolen," Gia chuckled. "Seriously, wearing white is already nerve-wracking enough. Now there's added pressure not to ruin it so no one knows we stole it. We're trying to attract a monster. Something tells me, we're going to have to scrape up a lot of money."

"So, are you ever going to want to get married one day?" Emma asked. She really hoped she could get her answer now. Gia had, in her own way, helped Jordan make Emma's proposal perfect. If Emma got the chance, she wanted to return the favour by helping Jake, even if that meant warning him Gia didn't want to get married.

"More than anything," Gia nodded. Emma was a little shocked to hear that and turned to Gia.

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah," Gia said. "I mean, you saw what my parents were like. They completed each other. Mom and dad were always happiest together. Having each other and having a family meant the world to them. I want that too."

"They were happy," Emma agreed.

"Especially after Cliff," Gia continued. "After everything he put me through, I just want to have that kind of love. Someone to come home to every day. Someone I can share everything with. You know, aside from you."

"Yeah, I know," Emma nodded.

"I've always wanted to be a wife someday," Gia said. "I just never really talked about it because... well, I guess I just never knew what to say. I'm supposed to be the tough chick, remember? I can't go on gushing about the perfect wedding or the perfect guy, or the perfect family I'll have one day."

"So, this is a dream of yours?"

"Uh, I guess," Gia chuckled. "I've never really thought of it that way, but yeah. One of my dreams."

"One of them?"

"Saving the world, defeating Vrak, seeing mom again," Gia nodded. "I guess those are also dreams of mine."

Gia then stood up, straightened out her dress and looked in the mirror one last time, "But hey, now's not the time to get sappy. We'll do that for real on our actual wedding days. Right now, I guess we've got a monster to catch."

"Yeah," Emma walked to the door, "I'll see if Jake's ready. Just wait right here."

Gia nodded and continued to admire herself in the mirror while Emma stepped out of the room. When the pink Ranger was in the hallway, she leaned against the wall to think for a moment. Getting married was Gia's dream. Emma hadn't ever heard her best friend talk about her dreams. She had tried to get Gia to say what they were a few times growing up but Gia had never really opened up about them. Then when Cliff came around, Gia didn't have the heart to dream anymore. She didn't have the confidence to even believe she deserved to have anything good.

But that was over. Everything was different now. Emma was a huge believer in dreams and had already seen plenty of hers come true. Gia had always been right there with her and had always done everything she could to help Emma realize her dreams. It was Emma's job to return the favour. She had no doubt in her mind Jake's idea for a proposal was going to be great but Emma needed to make sure it went beyond Gia's expectations.

Meanwhile, back in Gia's room, the yellow Ranger was alone and now couldn't stop herself from smiling. Initially, she had been reluctant to play the part of the bride in the fake wedding, and had even hidden from her friends in the hopes that Emma or Rebecca would just volunteer themselves. But now that she was at the church, in the dress, and she had talked to Emma about how much it meant to her to be able to find someone she could call her own forever, this was the most exciting mission Gia had taken part in. And knowing Jake was playing the role of the groom, and after the conversation they had had days before just made this mission even more perfect. It wasn't a real wedding, but at the very least, if this war was the thing that killed her, she would have this memory to look back on. She could, at the very least, tell herself that she had gotten the chance to stand at the altar with the love of her life.

"You're the happiest of them all!" Gia suddenly heard and turned around to see the monster standing right in her room. "The Prince will never be sick again thanks to you!"

"How did you get in here?" Gia asked as she ran over to the coffee table to grab her morpher. The monster cut her off with his staff and Gia saw it starting to glow. She realized that had to be how he was hurting all his victims so she kicked it away before he could do the same to her. The monster growled.

"You're going to put up a fight?" he said and suddenly disappeared. Gia was nervous about what he was up to, but took advantage of his being gone to grab her morpher. She was just about to use it when she felt something tickling her inside her dress.

"HEY! Stop it! I... I hate being..."

Gia couldn't stop herself. The tickling was too much and she dropped to her knees. It was only then she saw something fly out of her dress and the monster reappeared again. This time, he had her morpher in hand.

"Oh looky!" he smiled. "I caught me one of the Rangers! That'll surely cheer the Prince up! And with your happiness for his medicine as a bonus, I'll earn myself a nice little promotion!"

"So you are stealing people's happiness?" Gia asked. She got back to her feet but knew she was in trouble. The monster not only had her morpher in his hand, but he was standing between her and the door. Her only hope now was if Emma was on her way back to tell her it was time for the wedding.

"Well, it's not their misery I want," the monster nodded and then suddenly disappeared again. Her morpher dropped to the ground and Gia saw her opportunity. She rushed for the door and tried to scoop her morpher up on the way.

Only she never made it. She heard a laugh and then something hit her back. She dropped to the ground and suddenly felt very miserable. All she wanted to do was cry and shout.

"This isn't fair!" she shouted and punched the ground as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh, cry me a river," the monster said as he threw her over his shoulder. "Prince Vekar is going to be so happy when he sees what I've caught!"

The monster disappeared with Gia and moments later, the door opened again. Emma stepped into the room.

"Gia, it's time," Emma announced happily but then couldn't find the bride anywhere in the room. "Gia? Come on, now where'd you go?"

Emma took a step further in the room and nearly slipped on something that had been left on the floor. When she looked down to see what it was, she couldn't believe it. She picked up Gia's morpher and sighed.

"I know it's not the usual wedding accessory," she called out, thinking Gia was still somewhere in the room. She started to walk to the adjoining bathroom, "But just consider your morpher to be something... old, I guess. Gia? Hello? Gia?"

Emma pushed open the bathroom door only to reveal Gia wasn't there. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Emma jumped and turned around to find Noah.

"Hey, we're waiting. Where's Gia?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders, "Gone."

"You mean she left Jake at the altar? She does know this isn't a real wedding, right?"

"Something isn't right," Emma said. She looked down at Gia's morpher again. "This isn't like her. Not anymore."


	27. The Cure All

"She wouldn't do this," Jake shook his head as he looked down at Gia's morpher in his hand. "Well, I mean, she used to, but she... she wouldn't anymore."

"You know what they say about tigers," Noah suggested. "Maybe Gia got a better idea."

"No," Jake clutched her morpher and shook his head again. "No. She wouldn't. She promised me. She meant it. She'd never just take off without telling us, especially without her morpher."

"Gia has been a lot more careful lately," Emma agreed. "We couldn't fit her morpher in with her dress. I was going to hold it. She didn't have it on her, but we put it on the table. I found it on the floor. That means she must have touched it. Something must have happened."

"You don't think the monster got to her already, do you?" Orion asked and already he could tell his question made everyone nervous.

"He... he couldn't have," Jake said. "We haven't started the wedding yet."

"Not to mention, how would he get to Gia without any of us knowing? I left her alone for five minutes. That's it!"

"With Gia, that's long enough," Troy stated. "Noah, can you perform a..."

"I'm on it," Noah nodded. He took a seat on the pew and opened up his laptop. "It'll be hard to find her without her morpher, but I might be able to track down her heart."

"Thank god for that, right?" Orion said. Emma couldn't help but agree.

"More and more, I'm happy I nearly killed her."

"I can run two searches," Noah said as he worked. "We know where Vrak's hideout is. I'll scan the area and see if I pick up any traces of the Robo... whoa, that's weird."

"What?"

"It's going crazy," Noah said. The Rangers gathered behind him to see what was going on with his laptop.

"Vrak's got Gia?" Jake asked. Noah shrugged.

"I'm not sure. By the looks of it, there's a robo-heart and more in that area."

"That's impossible," Troy said. "Cliff was Robo-Knight. He died on our ship. Tensou's still working to rebuild him. Robo-Knight can't be in the middle of the ocean."

"That's got to be Gia."

"It can't be," Noah shook his head. "Unless... Vrak has been pretty quietly lately. Too quiet considering he just lost his best puppet. You don't think..."

"Could he be building his own Robo-Knight?" Jake asked.

"Maybe all he needs is the heart?" Orion suggested. "Maybe that's what that monster was for..."

"No," Emma shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. We got Robo-Knight back. Cliff's gone. And Vrak knows Gia. He wouldn't send some monster out to cause chaos. He's not afraid to go after her. This has to be something else."

"Maybe we should worry about this later," Troy stated. "Noah, see if there's anywhere else that shows signs of Gia's heart."

"That's it," Noah pulled up his second search. "There are no other signatures of Robo-Knight technology anywhere on Earth. Vrak's either got Gia or the Armada took her up to their ship."

"Looks like we're asking ourselves this question again," Troy sighed. "Who do we go after? Figure out what Vrak's up to and hope he has Gia, or take a risk and see what the Armada's doing? Anyone want to vote?"

-Megaforce-

"You're... you're kidding me, right?" Vekar cried out between coughs from a bed he had set up in his throne room. "You're telling me _she's_ the happiest person you've found?"

"Well, not anymore," Desolar said with a scratch of the head. He held out his staff. "I've stolen all her happiness for you, my Prince. It'll be all you need to cure that pesky human bug."

"Do you know how incompetent you look?" Vekar cried out. He struggled to sit up in his bed, needing help from the X-Borgs around him. "When I first met the yellow Ranger, she was about to take her own life! And now you're telling me, of all the people on Earth, she's the happiest?"

"My staff doesn't lie," Desolar said.

"You hopeless bag of bones! You promised you'd cure my ailment! Now I risk dying because you don't know what true happiness looks like."

"Sire, I can't help but remind you that this strain of bacteria is not lethal to your kind. You..."

"Well, I feel like I'm dying, so I must be!" Vekar interrupted Damaras. "And unless this waste of space can get me some real human happiness, I might just waste away to nothing!"

"My prince, I assure you..."

"Go back down there and find me more happy Earthlings!" Vekar shouted to Desolar. "And make it snappy! I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired."

"Yes. Right away, your highness," Desolar bowed slightly. As he straightened himself up, he pointed to Gia, who was a sobbing, hysterical mess on the floor of the throne room. "And what would you like me to do with..."

"Ugh, just put her back," Vekar waved dismissively. "I can't stand whiners on this ship!"

"That's rich," Damaras muttered to himself and then turned to the prince, "Sir, I wouldn't advise you just throw the yellow Ranger away. While we have her we should..."

"No! Can't you see I'm already suffering?" Vekar cried out. "I can't deal with any of the Rangers until I'm healthy again, and I can't do that until this useless waste of space brings me some real happiness!"

"But sir..."

"Those are my orders! Well, Desolar, what are you waiting for?"

Desolar threw Gia back over his shoulder and then scurried off to fulfill Vekar's new orders. Once he was gone, Vekar started to complain again.

"Can someone take this blanket off? I'm too warm! And who fluffed these pillows? It's all wrong! Ugh, is there anyone here who isn't incompetent?"


	28. Just A Little Joy

The Rangers were torn with what to do. Gia was missing. She had practically disappeared into thin air. They had a pretty good guess that Vrak had taken her somewhere, but his strategy didn't seem like him at all. However, they had discovered he was onto something new and something big and knew it was best to figure out what as quickly as possible.

However, if he didn't have Gia then focusing on Vrak would leave the yellow Ranger in danger. The Rangers had no idea what had happened to her, who had taken her, or if she was even still alive. They needed to move quickly to help her.

But they couldn't let Vrak skate by with his latest plan.

But they couldn't lose Gia.

It was a struggle to figure out what to do, and the more time the Rangers wasted trying to figure out their best move, the more likely they were to mess everything up.

"Well, we can't just sit here," Jake finally stated. He jumped up from the pew and ran to the back of the church. "There's got to be a clue or something!"

"Jake..."

"No," Jake shook his head as he turned to Noah. "If someone was targeting Gia, they'd want us to know. They all brag when they think they're winning. It's what bad guys do. You and Emma must have missed something."

"It can't hurt," Troy shrugged his shoulders and the Rangers followed him to Gia's room. Jake almost broke the door down when he stormed in. As he stumbled into the room, he was shocked by what he saw. There, in the middle of the room, sobbing hysterically in her wedding dress on the floor was Gia. Jake rushed to her side while Emma and Noah looked to each other in confusion. They had both searched the room for the yellow Ranger before they alerted the others of trouble. They couldn't have possibly missed her.

Yet, it seemed they had. Somehow, they had failed to see what appeared to have been right under their nose all along.

"Gia... what happened?" Jake asked as he helped her sit up. Gia just shook her head as she continued to cry uncontrollably. "Gia, please, come on. Just talk to me..."

Gia shook her head again and then angrily shoved Jake to the floor.

"It's all ruined!"

"What's ruined?" Jake asked her. The others were equally as confused.

"This! Everything! What we're doing! What's the point?" Gia cried. She pulled herself up to her feet, walked over to the table by the window and then tossed one of the water glasses to the wall.

"Bridezilla," Noah muttered to Orion. The silver Ranger frowned.

"What's that?"

"Brides go a little crazy on their wedding day sometimes," Noah whispered. Orion shook his head.

"But this wedding isn't real, right?"

"Hey, Gia!" Jake jumped up and grabbed her wrist before she could throw another glass. He looked right in her eyes. "Come on. It's us. We're your friends. Just tell us, please, what happened. Are you hurt?"

"You! You're the problem!" Gia shouted and poked him aggressively in the chest. "You, with all your sweet talk, that idiotic smile, those crap ass dance moves!"

"Whoa, what did I do?"

"You disgust me!"

"Gia!"

Gia shook her head and then, all of a sudden, she started to cry again. She fell into Jake's arms and sobbed on his shoulder. "Oh god! Jake, I'm so sorry!"

Jake put his arms around her to comfort her but he was completely baffled by what was going on. One minute, they were supposed to be getting married, the next she was sobbing, then screaming at him, and then sobbing again.

"No sweat?"

"Make it stop!" Gia cried and she clutched onto Jake a little tighter. "Please, it hurts so much. Please, just make it stop!"

"Okay... this is officially weird," Troy pointed out. "Let's just get her home before anything else crazy happens."

Jake nodded. He grabbed Gia's arms and looked down at her. He tried to look reassuring but he was worried and knew it was showing, "Hey, Gia, you're going to be okay. Tensou's going to have a look at you. We'll figure this out."

-Megaforce-

A few hours later, up in the Sky Ship, Gia's sobs had calmed and she hadn't lashed out in anger except for a moment when Tensou accidentally pinched her during his evaluation. However, she hadn't cheered up either.

The Rangers were waiting around for Tensou's results, though they already had a theory as to what had happened. In fact, they were all pretty sure they knew what had happened. More and more, reports were coming in from all over the city about people behaving the same way, and this behaviour seemed to match the ones from the videos the Rangers had watched before the staged wedding. It was the monster's doing. There was no other explanation.

For now, Gia sat with Jake, curled up in his arms with the occasional sob escaping her lips. She had changed out of her wedding dress, which had then been returned to the bridal shop, and was back in her regular, comfortable clothes. She had Kitten tucked in one arm and Tiger curled up in the other. Jake would occasionally whisper kind and comforting words, but she was still miserable. Nothing could get her out of her mood. It was heartbreaking for everyone to watch.

Emma, in a desperate attempt to bring a smile to Gia's face, had brought out her favourite snack while they waited for Tensou's results. Gia hadn't taken a bite. She wasn't hungry. Emma wasn't sure she would eat. The behaviour, even though Gia wasn't in control of it, terrified her. It reminded Emma of the Gia she thought she had left behind for good: the old Gia.

"I'm useless," Gia muttered and nestled in closer to Jake, seeking his comfort even though it couldn't do anything to make her feel less miserable.

"Gia, don't talk like that," Emma shook her head.

"It's true," Gia whispered. She looked down at Tiger with a sigh, "What good am I if I can't even fight off a bug on my own?"

"A bug?" Troy asked her. Jake frowned.

"Dude, not important..."

"Maybe it is," Troy said. He leaned in closer to Gia, "You were fighting a bug?"

"I'd hardly call it a fight. I couldn't beat anything. I mean, Vrak's still out there and he's the only one I really want to see go. If that's not useless and stupid and pathetic..."

"Gia, please, don't talk like that," Emma begged her. Gia sighed.

"You know it's true."

"Gia, tell us what happened. The monster's a bug? Did he do this to you? Do you know how?" Troy asked. Gia looked to him with a shrug.

"What does it matter anyways...?"

"It matters, Gia," Troy assured her. He moved in closer and took her hand. "You're not usually like this. Don't you remember?"

"How pathetic I was? Cliff was right, I'm..."

"Gia, please!" Emma begged. "Cliff's done! We're over that! You're over that! You beat him, remember?"

"He's the only guy I deserved."

"No, that's not true," Jake shook his head and looked down at her, "Cliff... Cliff didn't deserve you at all! He wouldn't even been good enough to eat the dirt you walked on. You deserve better. Hell, you probably even deserve better than me and..."

Gia started to tear up again and turned away from Jake, "I don't deserve you."

"No," Jake gently grabbed her face and looked her in the eyes, "I love you."

"You're wasting your time. All of you."

"Gia, what about the monster?" Troy asked her. "How did he do this? Why is he doing this? Do you know if there's a way to undo it?"

"So we can get you back to normal," Orion added. Gia shrugged her shoulders.

"Why bother?"

"We want to help," Troy said. "Please, just tell us what you know. I know it's hard to believe, but we can make this stop. You just need to help us."

Gia seemed reluctant at first, but then nodded her head, "I don't know how he does it, but this monster, he... he disappears. That's how he beat me. I... I can't even beat a stupid little bug."

"Come on, Gia, focus," Troy told you. "So he beat you. Is that how this happened?"

"He used a staff. His staff."

"You've been miserable since?"

Gia nodded. "Then he took me to Vekar. He's sick."

"Vekar's sick?" Noah asked.

"I... I didn't get a look. God, Gia, why are you so stupid?"

"Hey, now's not the time to be putting yourself down," Troy reminded her. "You're doing great so far, just tell us what you remember. Vekar's sick?"

"Probably just a cold. But you know what he's like. That bug thing, he... he steals happiness. He said he could use it to cure Vekar."

"The cure for the common cold is happiness?" Noah frowned.

"Laughter is the best medicine," Troy nodded. He looked to Gia with a smile, "That's great. We know what his motives are, we know we need to destroy that staff..."

"Wait, if Vekar had you, why were you back in your room?" Emma asked. Gia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Even the Prince of Pathetic thinks I'm worthless. My happiness wasn't good enough for him. I wasn't even worth dying. And why wouldn't I be?" Gia started to tear up again. Her lip quivered. "I can't even protect my own father!"

Gia doubled over in pain and started to sob hysterically again. Jake held her and tried to be of comfort, though he knew right now there was nothing he could say.

At that same moment, Tensou came up from his workshop with his results, but the Rangers no longer needed it. They had gotten everything they needed from Gia already. Now it was just a matter of getting drawing the monster in, destroying him and his staff so all his victims and Gia could get their happiness back.

"Do we stage another wedding?" Orion asked. Troy shook his head.

"He might be onto us. We can't throw two weddings in one day. We've got to try something else. We've got to make our happiness irresistible."

"We're not exactly the jolliest of pirates right now," Jake said. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"There is something we can do," Tensou suggested. The Rangers all turned to him curiously. Tensou showed them his tablet. "Gia's happiness isn't completely gone. It's at an all time low, but there's still some left."

"You're crazy, Tensou. Look at her," Jake gestured to the yellow Ranger, who was still sobbing hysterically in his arms.

"I've been monitoring you Rangers for a very long time," Tensou assured him. "Gia was never a completely miserable person, but in recent months, I've seen her happiness levels shoot up dramatically. You probably wouldn't believe it, but on our better days, she's the happiest person here."

"Gia?" Noah frowned and pointed to the yellow Ranger. "The girl who rarely cracks a smile?"

"You don't have to believe me. Her moods tend to go to extremes," Tensou said, "But I promise you, there's still some of her happiness left. That monster didn't drain it all. He might think he has, but it's not the case. If you can find a way to tap into that happiness and the monster finds out, he'll have to check it out."

"Tensou, we can't use Gia as bait again!" Emma said. Tensou looked up at her.

"Do you have any other ideas?"

"It can't get worse than this," Troy stated. "It's worth a shot."

"But how do we cheer her up?" Jake asked. "I'm trying everything I can. Nothing's working."

"_Saving the world, defeating Vrak, seeing mom again. I guess those are also dreams of mine."_

Dreams. Having her dreams come true always made Emma happy. Whether it was something small like completing another photo album or a big dream like watching the meteor shower the year before, or even the trip she had planned with her mother after the war was over. Sometimes, even just the thought of one of her dreams coming true one day was enough to bring Emma out of whatever mood she was in. Back at the church, Gia had given Emma her short list of dreams. Most of them, like getting married or saving the world weren't possible right now, but there was one that could be done. Emma wasn't thrilled about it, but if it made her best friend happy again, it needed to happen.

"Vanessa," she said. The boys all turned to her.

"Huh?"

"I'd be over the moon if I could see mom again," Emma stated. "Don't try and tell me no one else feels the same."

"This isn't just an excuse to see your mother, is it?" Troy asked her. "Emma, you're the one who wanted to send your mothers away. Now you're saying you want Vanessa to come here? And see Gia like this?"

"My mom doesn't have to come," Emma shook her head. "Come on, guys. If we can't cheer Gia up, there's only one other person who can do it. I'm going to call her."


	29. Happiness Blossoms

Vanessa didn't need to be asked twice. In fact, she didn't even need to be asked once. All she needed to know was her daughter needed her and she would come running.

That was exactly what she did. As soon as she got the call from Emma that something had happened to Gia, she grabbed her already packed overnight bag and made her way to the pick-up point for the Sky Ship. The Rangers brought her up; she dumped her bag and straight away walked to the girls' bedroom where she found her daughter lying face down in her bed sobbing.

"What happened?" Vanessa asked. She rolled Gia onto her side and then lay down next to her. "Who did this? What did this? Sweetheart..."

"Her happiness was sucked out of her," Jake explained as he stepped into the room. "It's the latest monster. He's going around town collecting people's happiness."

"How did he get Gia's?"

"We're not exactly sure. We had a wedding staged to bait him and I guess it worked a little too well," Jake shrugged his shoulders. "She's been like this since. Nothing cheers her up."

"Not if something took her happiness," Vanessa said. She pulled her daughter in closer while she looked to Jake. He shook his head.

"That's the thing. Tensou says this monster didn't get it all. That's why Emma called you. We've got no idea how to cheer her up again, but Tensou thinks if we can bring out whatever happiness is left, the monster's going to come back to get the job done."

"Hold up," Vanessa frowned. "You staged a wedding and used Gia as bait. That failed, so you're going to use her as bait again?"

"This monster's got to think he's taken everything from her," Jake nodded. "If he sees he hasn't, he's bound to show up. When he does, we know what we have to do. I promise, Mrs. Moran, we're not going to let anything happen to her again."

Jake sat down on Rebecca's bed with a little sigh. He looked down at his hands sadly, "I hate seeing her like this. Especially... Especially after how she's been lately."

"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked as she looked down at her daughter. As a result of having to keep her distance, Vanessa knew very little with what was going on with the Rangers. The only updates she got were from the news, and they struggled to keep up with everything the Rangers were doing.

"I don't know," Jake shrugged. "I guess, seeing her right now, it really strikes us how much she's improved. How strong she's become since... well, you know. Right now, she's reminding me of Gia from when this whole Ranger thing started. She's down on herself, she's miserable, she's scared, she's angry, she's... she's just not happy."

Vanessa couldn't help but agree. She hadn't yet gotten the chance to talk to Gia, to figure out what was going on in her head, but she could tell just by looking at her daughter that something was horribly off.

"_Do you always make house calls?"_

"_This is an exception," Ms. Chesterfield answered. "How is she?"_

"_I took her to the clinic. They said there was nothing they could do for her," Mrs. Moran shook her head and walked Ms. Chesterfield into the kitchen. She offered her one of the cookies she and Emma had made a few days back. "I was referred to a specialist."_

"_For?"_

"_Stress, depression, anxiety; I'm not the specialist. They'll want to do some testing."_

"_To explain today?"_

"_For everything," Mrs. Moran sighed, "I told them about Cliff, Mick, Alex, Gia running away, how we've taken in Emma, that with all the other stressors in her life… I think it's all too much. I want help I just…"_

_Mrs. Moran picked up the card the doctor had given her and shook her head, "I don't think this will work for Gia. The tests, the questions, having to talk about herself to strangers. She's very reserved. If I can't get her to open up, a stranger won't…"_

"_Serena was successful."_

"_Maybe Serena was right for her. Serena did also have to wait until after Gia was thrown from a second story window."_

"_If the doctor suggests…"_

"_This isn't right. Not for my daughter," Mrs. Moran shook her head. "I may not always know what's going on with her, but I know what's good for her, and I want the best. These doctors can't help her. She would break them before they could fix her."_

"_So what are you going to do?"_

"_I don't know," Mrs. Moran looked over to the living room and sighed. "I really don't know."_

Vanessa remembered that day painfully. She remembered that time painfully. Gia's smiles, her laugh, had been hard to come by. More than anything, she had been miserable, scared, and hurt and nothing seemed to help her out. Nothing was a permanent fix for the problems in her life. Vanessa could remember being terrified there was nothing out there except a life of misery for her little girl.

Fortunately, little by little, everything started to turn around. With every visit, Vanessa saw her daughter getting stronger and more confident in herself. So she knew Jake was right. This monster had set her back. But not completely. Vanessa refused to believe there was nothing good left inside of Gia. Her happiness had blossomed once before. There had to be something left to build on this time.

"Hey, sweetheart, cheer up," Vanessa said as she hugged her daughter softly. "This isn't over. It's far from over."

"What the point?" Gia asked. "Nothing we do, nothing we try can..."

"Hey, we've made it this far," Vanessa reminded her. "And I've been watching you. I've kept up every day with what you're doing. You've made me so proud."

"You're my mother. You're supposed to..."

"I'm supposed to love you no matter what," Vanessa said. "Nowhere in the parenting handbook did it say I was supposed to be proud. But you... I mean, look at you, Gia. Look at everything you've done until now."

"Mom..."

"You're a freaking Power Ranger!"

"Yeah, and I'm no good at it."

"The world would beg to differ," Vanessa said. "Why, just yesterday Claire came home in a bit of a huff. Apparently, a lady at work was going on and on about how great a role model the yellow Ranger was for little girls everywhere, but refused to say the same for the pink Ranger."

"She thinks I'm a role model?" Gia asked. Vanessa nodded her head and smiled.

"She's exactly right. Gia, I've watched you your whole life. I've seen life knock you down more times than I wish were true. And every time you've found not just a way, but a reason to get back up again."

"Maybe life's trying to tell me something," Gia sniffed. "Maybe I belong in the ground with the rest of the..."

"Giana Moran, you better stop yourself right there!"

"Mom..."

"You have so much to live for. So much to fight for," Vanessa smiled. She pointed to Jake, "Look. Right there. Do you see him?"

"Jake? Yeah."

"He's a good one. Gia, for years, I prayed you'd find a man who would treat you right. Who would love you just as much as your father loved me. Sweetheart, my prayers weren't just answered. They were exceeded. Life may throw you some tough challenges, but it always rewards you accordingly. You must be something great to land a guy like him."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Gia's lips as she thought about Jake. She could remember the way he made her feel and all the things he had done for her to this day. When she thought about them, she couldn't help but feel a little joy build up inside of her.

Jake, over on Rebecca's bed, was extremely flattered by Vanessa's words. He had known for a while he was in her good graces, but never imagined the amount of respect she had for him. After all, he was still the man who was dating, touching, kissing, and loving her daughter. To know Vanessa didn't just approve of him, but thought he was the answer to her prayers was very touching and made him blush.

"And speaking of your father," Vanessa smiled, "You have, without a doubt, made him the proudest, happiest man to ever walk this Earth. Did you know that?"

"How?" Gia asked. "I can't... I mean, Vrak is still..."

"When he found out we were having you, a daughter, all he wanted for you was brains, confidence, and an attitude to match. Gia, sweetheart, if he were here, if he could see everything you've accomplished, he'd think he was dreaming."

"Gia, your mother's saying all this, and she doesn't even know," Jake smiled. Vanessa turned to him.

"Know what?"

"Cliff's gone," Jake said and then pointed to the yellow Ranger, "She beat him."

"You... for real?"

"It was amazing, Mrs. Moran. The way Gia handled everything with him. We couldn't be happier and more proud as her friends. I'm sure you feel the same way."

Vanessa looked her daughter in the eyes with tears of joy, "You... You beat Cliff?"

Gia nodded, "I won. I... I did. I'm... I'm not a loser."

Gia shook her head and clenched her fists. She closed her eyes as that memory hit her.

"_If you do really love me, you'll want me happy. That's what love is, Cliff. That's how you know someone's special. You don't beat them up, you don't force them to have sex with you, and you don't humiliate them all the time in front of your friends. You fight for them. You give them what they need. It's what my friends have always done for me. Jake, Emma, Troy, Noah, Rebecca, Jordan, Orion... all of them love me."_

"You're not a loser," her mother whispered to her and hugged her tight. "I know it's hard to see right now, sweetheart, but you've got everything you need right here. Everything you deserve is right here on this ship and will be waiting for you when this war is over."

Vanessa looked her daughter in the eyes. "Your teammates, friends, Ms. Chesterfield, Dr. Oliver, all the Rangers before you, Claire, myself, we're all here for you. We all love you. We all want what's best for you. Sweetheart, there's no reason to feel so miserable when you've got more than most people."

Gia nodded her head and a real smile grew on her lips, "I've got nothing to cry over."

"That monster's keeping you from feeling happy," Vanessa told her, "But he hasn't taken away your happiness. You've still got that right here. Please, sweetheart, don't let that go."

"I won't," Gia promised. She kissed her mother's cheek and then turned to Jake, "I want to get it back. Where's that bug? This time, for sure, I'll crush him."

"Noah might be able to find him," Jake said. Gia nodded and then walked out onto the deck to find the blue Ranger. Jake just turned to Vanessa in awe. "You're good."

"I'm her mother," Vanessa chuckled. "I've got to be."

"How did you know what to say?"

"It's what helped her last time," Vanessa smiled. "You, her friends, proving to her she was worth something and cared for by so many people. I'm just glad it didn't take almost two years this time."

"Thanks, Mrs. Moran."

"No, thank you," Vanessa got up and walked over to Jake. She pulled him in for a hug. Jake was a little thrown off by it at first, but returned the gesture with a smile. When Vanessa pulled away, he grabbed her arm.

"Wait."

"What? Don't tell me Emma was hit too?"

"No, she's fine," Jake chuckled. "It's just... can we talk about something real quick?"


	30. Eternal Happiness

Jake paced around the girls' bedroom while Vanessa watched him. He didn't have a speech or anything prepared. Mere hours ago he had no idea he would see Vanessa and so didn't think this would be something he would have to prepare for in the near future. However, she was here now, he had no idea when she would be back, and she thought so highly of him, it was his best chance to take advantage of his current position.

Unsure anything would come out sounding good enough; Jake decided to speak from his heart. He tugged nervously on his collar as he turned to his girlfriend's mother.

"I love Gia."

He winced and kicked himself mentally after saying that. _Stupid, Jake! That's obvious! Even the bad guys know that!_

"Is that everything?" Vanessa asked with a little chuckle. "Jake, I know that."

Jake shook his head. He had to phrase it better, "She's beautiful, she's smart, she's amazing and strong and just... wow."

"Again, I know that," Vanessa chuckled.

"Mrs. Moran, I've never met another girl like her," Jake said. "And I doubt I ever will. I mean, I know I never will. There is no one out there like Gia."

Jake began to pace again, a habit he had when he got really nervous. Vanessa liked him, so he doubted he had anything to worry about, but this was still a big moment and his impression on her meant everything. He didn't want to screw this up.

"You know we live a pretty weird and crazy life. I mean, in a way, I've already married Gia. I still have my memories from when Vekar aged me and the guys and so I know in some alternate future Gia and I were married and... well..."

"Marriage?"

Jake nodded and gulped, "Mrs. Moran, I... I know we're young. I know we've got other things to worry about than marriage like this war and what we're going to do after. Gia's got a bright future, you and I both know that, and I'm sure we'd both love to see her reach her full potential. But... well... I... I mean..."

Jake scratched the back of his neck and looked down at his feet. "My memories of being married to Gia aren't scary or anything. Sometimes, when I can't sleep, I think of our wedding from that alternate future. It makes me happy. She makes me happy. And... recently... I mean we're okay now, obviously, but for a little while Gia and I were... kinda... well, it was all a miscommunication, kinda, but we were broken up and I thought she had moved on with Orion and... well, I was miserable. I thought I had let the perfect girl get away from me. I thought I had lost the person that meant everything to me. Getting her back, knowing I can continue to love her and that she feels the same way about me is just... There's no feeling to describe it. She's the girl, Mrs. Moran. She's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I've been through it all. I've seen her at her best, at her worst, and even when I think it's not possible, I find a way to love her even more. So, um... with... well, uh, with that said... I want to... well, I want to make that alternate future this future. The wedding part of it, not what came after that. I want to marry your daughter."

Jake winced as he finished his speech and couldn't bring himself to look at Vanessa. He knew she liked him. She had sung his praises only minutes ago. Yet, for some reason, he was certain she would say no.

"Have you thought this through?" she asked him. Jake nodded his head.

"Every day."

Vanessa stood up and walked over to Jake. He was taller, but she had a way of intimidating him still. He gulped when she spoke.

"I've raised her," she said. "Gia, even on her best day, can be hell. I had grey hairs coming in since just weeks after she was born. Giving her the best life I can offer is a full time job. There are no breaks, no holidays, and sometimes, it can be the most painful, thankless, stressful thing you'll ever do."

"Not true," Jake shook his head. "I mean, I haven't known her for nearly as long as you have, but there's nothing about doing what's best for Gia that's painful or thankless. Mrs. Moran, I live for her smile, for her laugh, and for the way she looks at me when life's going well. Nothing would make me happier than making her happy for the rest of our lives."

Vanessa smiled. She wrapped her arms around Jake in a hug.

"There's no one I would rather pass the mantle down to then you," she whispered in his ear.

"Seriously?"

"I knew you were the one," Vanessa nodded. "I always knew."

-Megaforce-

A little while later, the Rangers were back in the city. By now, more and more cases of unexplained bouts of anger, sadness, and all around misery were being reported, and actual sightings of the monster responsible were coming in. For the Rangers, this made their job of getting closer to him a lot easier.

As a result of his attack, Gia still felt a deep rooted misery. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball, block out the world and cry, except maybe beat something up in anger. However, she knew none of those feelings had a reason for being present. She was a happy person. She had everything to be happy for and nothing left in her life that she could honestly complain about. She had great teammates, amazing friends, the perfect boyfriend, a whole network of support that extended further than she could even imagine, and a mother who would do anything for her. Just that knowledge gave Gia a reason to smile and the power to push down her miserable feelings.

So the Rangers took advantage. While the city was trying to hide from the monster, the streets were bare. No one dared leave their homes or offices for fear of becoming the next victim. This left the park wide open for the Rangers to play. They left Ryan, Rebecca and Vanessa up on the ship for safety, but brought Tiger out for a bit of fun. With Gia happy again, the tiger was free to play around, and by doing so, acted a little goofy. It brought an even bigger smile to Gia's face to see her cub enjoying the open space and fresh air.

But nothing made her happier than seeing the monster return, staff in hand, looking completely frustrated.

"You!" he shouted and stomped his feet. "Why are you so happy?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Gia asked. "It's a nice day out."

"You can't be happy!" he said. "The prince may not have believed me, but I've got your happiness! All of it; right in my staff!"

"You're going to return every bit of happiness you stole!" Emma shouted to the monster. He pulled his staff in closer and shook his head.

"No way! If the prince is to feel better, he'll need all the happiness he can get! My job here is almost done, and I'm not going to let you miserable Rangers stand in my way!"

"Miserable?" Gia asked with a smirk. She held out her morpher, "The only one who's going to be miserable here is you. Ready, guys? Go, go Megaforce!"

-Megaforce-

Up on the ship, while the Rangers were locked in their battle with the Armada's latest monster, Vanessa was taking a moment to have a look around. She had just given her blessings to Jake and couldn't have been happier for him and her daughter and the idea of them spending their lives together. However, being on the ship brought Vanessa some ill feelings. Somehow, she knew, this would be the last casual visit. Something was building.

Perhaps it was just anxiety. It had been around this time everything started getting worse for the Rangers. Around this time of year, their battles escalated. There was more at stake. Malkor, the head of the Warstar, had put all his efforts into destroying the Rangers for good while Vrak, cunning as ever, had his own plan to take over the planet. Vanessa remembered how it had almost cost her. She remembered the train crash that nearly took her life. She remembered saying goodbye to the girls and fearing it would be the last time she saw either of them alive. She remembered how terrifying and miserable she had been at the thought of life ending.

That time was bound to come again, but with Vrak still around and now the Armada to worry about, the stakes were even higher. There were more enemies, stronger foes, and a whole planet counting on just the teens. Soon, Vanessa knew, Vrak and Vekar would have enough. One of them would push their luck, and when that day came, it was anyone's guess who would be the last one standing.

Vanessa was grateful Jake had share with her his plans of proposing to Gia. It cheered her up to know that, if this was the end, at least her daughter had found someone special. Both her girls had. Emma and Jordan were happily engaged and Jordan was an amazing guy. He often phoned her and Claire to see how they were doing. No one had asked him. He simply chose to do it because he knew their wellbeing was important to Emma.

As Vanessa walked around the ship, she made sure to take in everything. For now, it was her daughter's home, and therefore a piece of Gia that would forever be important. With the threat of a great battle ahead, there was the chance Gia would never return home. Vanessa wanted all the memories she could get, no matter how small.

She headed down the stairs, below deck, just to get a better sense of the layout of the ship. It was down there she saw Tensou and Rebecca watching the screen where the battle was taking place. Vanessa couldn't bring herself to watch. Even when the Rangers were doing well, it was scary to see the kids fight. However, she couldn't help but notice something wasn't right.

"Yes! Jake's got the staff!"

"Go Jake! Let me know when he smashes it," Rebecca cheered. Tensou watched the screen closely, while Rebecca seemed to be staring off into space. Vanessa slowly approached the two.

"How are they doing?" she asked, against her better judgment even though it sounded the fight was going well.

"This one's a little tricky," Tensou nodded. "He can shape shift from big to small in the blind of an eye. But the Rangers are doing well. Jake's got his staff, now he just needs to get away long enough to break it."

"Come on, Jakey!" Rebecca cheered. "Let's bring all the happiness back!"

"He's making a break for it! Look at him go!" Tensou explained and then gasped. "Whoops, sorry, Rebecca. I mean..."

"I get it, Tensou," Rebecca chuckled. Then she turned to Vanessa, "In case you're wondering, yes, I'm blind."

Vanessa pulled up a stool and sat beside the younger girl. She gently grabbed her face and looked Rebecca in the eyes.

"Sweetheart..."

"It's okay," Rebecca said. "I've got my dolphin senses. They help me find my way without actually seeing anything. I chose it."

"You chose blindness?"

"Well, it kind of happened," Rebecca nodded, "But Tensou says there's an operation he can do. But it's tricky and I kind of like my dolphin senses. I know I'm not a Ranger but they kind of feel like superpowers."

"How did this happen?"

"Vrak," Rebecca said. "He's a bit of a dick, in case you haven't noticed."

"I've noticed," Vanessa nodded. "Rebecca, I..."

"Don't feel bad for me, Mrs. Moran," Rebecca smiled. "I'm okay. Besides, it could have been worse. And anyways, you should be proud. Gia's the one who saved me. She fought off Cliff and Vrak and got Ryan, Noah and myself to safety. Then she helped me figure out how to live like this. For you, this should be a badge of honour."

Rebecca gestured to the screen, "Gia's able to make anyone feel better about themselves. She's got a real gift."

"She's special, alright," Vanessa nodded. Suddenly, Tensou got excited. He stood up a little taller and then started to race around his workshop.

"Jake smashed the staff! He broke it! All the happiness is going back! Ha! That's what you get, Vekar! Looks like you're going to have to shake the cold just like everyone else! OJ and a lot of tissues!"

"The cold?"

"Gia said Vekar was going to use human happiness to cure himself. Apparently, he's feeling under the weather."

"It is strange he's concerned himself so much with this bug," Tensou stated. "Assuming he caught a virus here on Earth, the potential for it being lethal is very minimal. Vekar's superior immune system and his commander's advanced medical knowledge can surely rid him of the cold in a matter of a day."

"Yeah, but he's a whiny sucky face," Rebecca said. "He's probably milking his misery for all it's worth. But he's not getting his way. Not this time."

"The monster's gone," Tensou announced. "Looks like just a final Megazord battle and then we're good to go! I'll set up the ship."

"I'll get the baby," Rebecca said.


	31. An Interesting Proposal

After the battle, and with Gia's, as well as the rest of the city's happiness back where it belonged, the Rangers returned to the Sky Ship. Gia wanted to take a moment to thank her mother for the visit and her help, and to say goodbye to her. Emma also wanted a moment with Vanessa, but right now, a moment with Jake was more important. She took him up to the bow. While everyone was getting cleaned up, and with Gia and Vanessa in the girls' room to say goodbye, it was a good spot to get some privacy.

"I'll bet you're happy," Jake said. "You worked pretty hard to get Gia to this point. Must have sucked to see the monster undo it all."

"I'm just glad that's over with. And that we really got to see how far we've come," Emma nodded her head. She leaned against the side of the ship and looked out at the sky, "But, you know, it does get you thinking."

"Yeah, it does," Jake nodded. He leaned next to Emma and then frowned, "Wait, about what?"

Emma chuckled, "About the future. How far we'll go. You know, sometimes, when we've got a lot going on, I like to come out here and focus on what we're working towards. I imagine beating the Armada, defeating Vrak for good, and saving the world."

"You're looking forward to it, aren't you?" Jake asked her. "We know how much you miss your family. I admit, a part of me thought you were just calling Vanessa in to see her."

"That was a good bonus. But I knew if anyone knew how to get through to Gia on such short notice, it would be Vanessa. I did have Serena's number ready though in case."

"Good call," Jake chuckled.

"I also imagine what'll happen after the war. We've got our own lives to consider. Mom promised to take me on my first real vacation."

"Your first?"

"I went with the Morans growing up. But they could never take us very far for very long. With mom, I'm not just going to leave the city. We're planing a trip somewhere tropical."

"That should be fun."

"And I'll have a wedding to plan," Emma nodded. "Jordan and I are young, but after all this, I think we'll be able to face whatever comes our way."

Emma then turned to the green Ranger, "What about you?"

"Soccer," Jake said. "Hopefully Coach McKnight was able to hold my spot for another season. Hopefully my team lets me back."

"You're good. I'm sure they'll be happy to have you back. You might need a good excuse for why you've been gone for so long, though. Maybe Gia can help with that."

"Maybe," Jake nodded. "The guys did really like her."

"Hey, speaking of Gia," Emma knew it wasn't the most subtle approach, but Jake also wasn't always one to pick up on hints. "Once this is over, what's going to happen there? Any plans? I mean, after seeing her in that wedding dress, thoughts must have crossed your mind about your future together."

"She did look beautiful," Jake nodded. "You know, if you ignore the sobs and stuff. Uh, not that I would... or did. But, well, when it happens for real, I already know she'll be completely and unbelievably beautiful."

"So, you are planning on marrying her?"

"I... uh, well, I meant in general. I..." Jake turned to Emma nervously. He hadn't intended to let it slip that he had a wedding on his mind, but she was a lot more observant than he realized. He tried to backpedal but then realized he had nothing to hide. He had already gotten Vanessa's blessing. Emma was next in line. "Yeah, actually. I am. She's the one."

Jake didn't expect Emma's reaction. He thought he'd get a smile as well as a bit of a hard time. He remembered the hoops Gia made Jordan jump through. Hell, she had forced him to propose a second time because she didn't think the first one meant anything. Emma had never been as hard on Jake as Gia was on Jordan, but he expected having a few hoops.

Instead, the pink Ranger jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly. Jake let it happen for a few seconds just so Emma could get her fill and then grabbed her arms and pushed her away.

"What's that for?"

"You're going to make her happier than I ever thought possible," Emma smiled. "I didn't even know it until recently, but this has been Gia's dream her whole life."

"What... what does that mean? She's been thinking about this too?"

"Getting married, having the perfect guy to come home to. Yes! And that's you! You're Mr. Right! You're her dream come true, I know it!"

"Okay," Jake took a step back, "if this is how happy you're getting, I might have to brace myself for the actual proposal."

"That," Emma pointed to him, "needs to be flawless."

"I... um... plan on it?"

"I can help. I want to help."

"I've got an idea already..."

"Jake, please," Emma begged him. "This is Gia's dream and I want it to get started on the right foot. Not that I don't trust you'll get it right but... she's just done so much to help me."

Jake looked to Emma as he contemplated her proposal. On the one hand, he already had an idea on how he wanted his proposal to go, and he was sure it would not only make Gia say yes, but it would make her very happy.

On the other hand, Emma was Gia's best friend, and perhaps the only person who knew her better than he did. He could use her input to really make his idea perfect. Not to mention, Emma had been such an important part of Gia's life, including her in what would hopefully be Gia's fondest memory could only add to her happiness.

"Okay, you can help," Jake nodded. "But we've got to keep this all under wraps. I want Gia to be surprised."

"Me too," Emma smiled.

"Alright, good. Now, I've already talked to Vanessa. We're good to go there. Now I just need to find the right time and then we can get started on the whole set up and execution. Not to mention... I still don't have a ring."

"You got money?"

"Nope," Jake pulled out his pockets, "I'm broke. I've probably got... fourteen dollars under my mattress."

"Fourteen?"

"Hey, our Ranger allowance only stretches so far, and I like to treat Gia on dates, okay. Not to mention, we're kind of co-parenting Tiger and she's not getting any smaller. She loves venison, and do you have any idea how much that costs?"

"Okay, well, I can help you there," Emma smiled. She reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. She gave her cash to Jake, "Put it towards the ring."

"Emma, this is your whole allowance!"

"Yeah, I know," Emma nodded. "Jordan's gone so I don't get out much. Next month, I can give you half of what I get. It goes towards the ring and you'll still have money to treat Gia on dates."

Jake shook his head and offered Emma her money, "I can't take this. What about your share of the groceries, or just getting off the ship or..."

"I'll be fine," Emma said. "My other half will go towards the grocery bill, and what'll I need to go out for? I'll have a proposal to help plan. Honestly, Jake. Take it."

"You're sure?"

"Yes!" Emma laughed. Jake placed the cash in his pocket and sighed.

"Great. My girlfriend's future ring is going to be almost entirely funded by her best friend and not her boyfriend."

"Hey, did you expect any different?" Emma shrugged. Jake sighed and shook his head.

"I guess not. At least let me treat you and Jordan to a night out once this is all over. Somewhere fancy."

"Deal," Emma shook his hand. "Now, let's talk dates."


	32. Vrak's Generosity

Vanessa couldn't hug her daughter any tighter unless she wanted to suffocate her. That wasn't the plan, but never wanting her daughter to leave her arms was. Vanessa knew what awaited her and all the Rangers. It was only going to get worse from here.

"Mom, I'm fine, really," Gia chuckled. She didn't know Vanessa's fears, because Vanessa didn't want her to worry. Gia needed a clear mind for what was about to come.

"I know," Vanessa said. "I'm just... I'm going to miss you."

"Me too," Gia said. She kissed her mother's cheek, "But we'll see each other soon. All that's standing in our way is the Armada."

"Yeah, that's it," Vanessa nodded. She gently held her daughter's face, "Be careful, Gia. You are the one thing I can't afford to lose."

"I'm coming home," Gia promised. "You know I want nothing more. We'll celebrate. We'll put this all behind us."

"I can't wait," Vanessa smiled and then kissed Gia's forehead before she grabbed her bag and walked out. Jake and Emma were up on the bow talking, but as soon as Emma saw Vanessa was ready to go, she rushed down to say goodbye. Vanessa hugged her tight.

"Make me proud," she whispered to the pink Ranger. "But come home. Please, please, come home."

"I will," Emma smiled. "And don't worry. I'll bring Gia with me."

"You better," Vanessa chuckled. She kissed the top of Emma's said and said goodbye to the Rangers. Feeling this was the last time she would see them until after the war, she wished them good luck and told them she would be watching.

But before she left, she pulled Jake aside. Subtly, she slipped some money in his pocket as she hugged him.

"What's this for?"

"Am I wrong in thinking you'll get the proposal done before the final battle?"

"No," Jake shook his head. "If anything does happen, not that I think it will, I want her to know how much she means to me. I wish you could be there, Mrs. Moran, but..."

"Vanessa," she smiled at him, "And I understand. Please take care of her."

"I will," Jake promised. "But the cash..."

"Put it towards something nice," Vanessa smiled. "A fancy dinner, a nice bouquet, a ring. As long as it makes her smile."

"Done," Jake nodded. Vanessa gave him a little wink and then made her way off the ship. She watched it sail away with a tear in her eyes. Her heart knew the Rangers would be okay, but her mind wouldn't stop worrying this was the end.

She composed herself quickly, though. She had no reason to be upset yet. The girls were fine, the Rangers were safe, and the Armada was still keeping their distance. Vanessa needed to keep her head on straight at least until she could get home. Then she could cry all she wanted to Claire.

She pulled out her cell phone to call her girlfriend. Claire had been a little jealous when Vanessa had been called to the ship and not her. She wanted to be able to see her daughter as well, but Emma insisted it wasn't the time. It was a huge risk bringing Vanessa on board the ship, and Emma didn't want to put her mother and Vanessa in any more danger than was necessary. That didn't stop Claire, though. Vanessa had been tasked with leaving the pink Ranger a gift, which she would find later tucked under her pillow.

"Hey, Claire. You're probably at work right now, but I'm just letting you know, the Rangers have dropped me off and I'm on my way home. I'll see you in a couple of hours, I guess. Love you."

Vanessa hung up and tucked the phone in her bag. She had a bit of a walk back to the city where she had left her car but she knew her way. She set off, hoping she didn't encounter traffic on her way home. However, she never made it out of the woods. Barely five minutes into her walk she heard a twig snap behind her. She turned around and let out a cry as she was startled by the sight before her.

"Vrak!"

He smirked. Vanessa, right away, knew what to do and reached for her bag. In it, she had a communicator that was linked to the Rangers' morphers. She could call them for help. They weren't too far. They could arrive in a matter of moments. But before Vanessa could open her bag, it was ripped from her hands.

"My, my," Vrak shook his head. He started to dig through the bag while Vanessa stood, frozen in terror. Without the communicator, she couldn't call for help. She was all alone against Vrak.

The alien reached into her bag and pulled out exactly what Vanessa needed. He showed her the communicator and she lunged for it. Vrak shook his head, kicked her down and then examined it.

"This looks like it might cause me a little bit of trouble," he said. While Vanessa clutched her stomach, Vrak dropped the communicator and then stomped on it, breaking it.

"No!"

"What else do we have in here?" Vrak asked her. He pulled out a first aid kit, "Well, looks like you come prepared. I'm sure the Rangers have a bunch of these on their ship. However, enough is never enough for a worried mother, I suppose. I guess I wouldn't know."

Vrak tossed the first aid kit over his shoulder and then looked around the bag again. He pulled out a small tiger toy.

"What is it with you yellows and these animals?" he asked. "You seem to think they'll bring you power. It's almost adorable."

"Give that back!" Vanessa shouted from her knees. Vrak looked down at her with a sick smirk. He held the toy.

"This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"It's worthless to you, Vrak. Please, just..."

"Oh, my dear, nothing's worthless to me," Vrak said. He pulled out a knife from his belt and cut off the head of the tiger, knowing it would upset Vanessa. He let the head fall to the ground and showed her the decapitated body, "What do you think of your little tiger now? This is just a demonstration of what I'll do to her."

"You won't hurt her," Vanessa growled. "You're underestimating Gia. When the time comes, you'll wish you'll have taken off when you had the chance!"

"How little you know," Vrak smirked. He looked inside the bag again, and aside from a change of clothes and a toothbrush, he saw nothing else and so tossed the bag aside. He knelt in front of Vanessa, "What if I told you we could strike a deal?"

"I'll never help you."

"I can make it worth your while," Vrak smirked. He waved the decapitated tiger toy. "You help me with my latest project, and when the time comes, I'll show one of your girls my mercy."

"No deal!"

"Well, then I guess I'll get my way after all," Vrak smirked and grabbed her arm. "You don't seem to understand my generosity. You are helping me, there's nothing you can do to stop that. In return for your service, I'll spare one of your beloved daughters."

"You're a liar and a cheat!"

"Well, then you have nothing to lose," Vrak chuckled. "You can deny my offer. It'll guarantee when I win, both your girls will die. Or, you can take a chance. Go out on a limb, as you would say, and give one of your girls a slim, but very real chance at going home alive."

Vrak pulled Vanessa in closer, "You can give your daughter a chance she will not have otherwise. You come with me, willingly, and your little tigger will be safe and sound. At least, if I have my way. And we know I will."

Vanessa tried to pull away. Vrak's grip was strong.

"Or, maybe you'll keep a family together," he said. "You, my dear, will not make it home. What good is your daughter's life without you? I'm sure her return would be just miserable."

"Vrak, please..."

"Her death may be the kindest thing I can do," Vrak said. "In that case, you might want to save the pink Ranger. Your other daughter? Her mother might still be alive. They can be a family."

Vanessa closed her eyes and shook her head. She didn't trust Vrak. She knew, no matter what she said, he wasn't going to keep his word. It didn't matter what she chose. Not to mention, she couldn't choose. Of course, Gia was her daughter. Vanessa would do anything to give Gia the best chance at life. But at Emma's expense?

"No deal!" she shouted and tried to break away again. She managed and immediately started to run from Vrak, but in her panic and desperation, she didn't see where she was going. She tripped on a root and hit the ground hard. Before she could get up, Vrak had a foot on her back. He forced her down.

"You try to be nice," he said with a sigh. "Well, at least I can say I tried."


	33. Plans And Upgrades

Vanessa's visit to the ship left the Rangers with a lot to think about. For one, they couldn't help but wonder about their own parents, and what it would be like to see them again once the war was over.

"I can't wait," Noah said. "I mean, I got to tell mom and dad about being a Ranger, but I'll finally get the chance to tell them everything I've worked on and everything I've learned from being a Ranger. They always believed in me, but when they hear the kind of weapons I worked on, it'll blow their minds!"

Troy turned to Jake, "What about you and your parents?"

"I'm just as clueless as you," Jake said. "I mean, I know my parents are trying to make things work again, but I'm not sure what'll happen. I will be really excited to tell them everything, though. Mom might have a heart attack. Dad's surely going to shit himself. I've done a lot of dangerous stuff."

"Almost makes you glad you don't have parents, huh?" Rebecca said to Troy. The black and blue Rangers' faces instantly fell.

"Oh, shit," Jake muttered. "Guys, we're really sorry."

"I guess it's pretty insensitive," Noah agreed. "I forgot Vekar..."

"No sweat," Troy shook his head. "Rebecca and I plan on visiting their graves."

"We'll tell them everything that way," Rebecca nodded. She turned to Troy, "Though something tells me, they'll be most proud of Ryan. She wasn't walking or talking last they saw."

"Even when you're a Power Ranger, it's hard to upstage a growing baby," Troy sighed. He looked at his sister on his lap, "Though, you are pretty adorable."

"Toy!" Ryan giggled and accidentally put her finger up her brother's nose. Jake and Noah laughed, and once Noah told Rebecca, she laughed too.

"That makes up for her saying your name first," she said. "You find any gold up there, Ry?"

"Hey, if we are speaking of final battles," Noah said, "we've got to figure out what we're going to do when that happens. The ship might not be safe enough for Ryan, or even you, Becca."

"I'm not going anywhere," Rebecca shook her head. "In case you haven't noticed, the only people that still matter to me are all on this ship. There's zero sense in me leaving."

"What about Ryan?" Troy asked as he passed the little girl over. Rebecca cuddled with her and shrugged.

"What's the number for the Ranger daycare?"

"Yours."

"You're also taking Tiger," Gia announced as she joined the group at the table. "Your safest bet would be to make your way to Dr. Oliver's. He'll know where you can hide."

"But I don't want to hide," Rebecca shook her head.

"Fine, come back after you've dropped off the little ones," Gia shrugged. "Get yourself killed. See if I care."

"Aw, see, Gia respects my suicidal tendencies," Rebecca chuckled. Jake rolled his eyes. He looked up at Gia.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm alright. A lot more motivated to see this end, though."

"What are you going to do after the war?" Troy asked her and then gestured around the table. "It's the hot topic right now."

Gia shrugged, "Not sure. Something. I'm mostly just excited for everything to calm down. I'm looking forward to not having to worry about everyone I care about. Getting to see my mother without the fear of Vrak or Vekar using her against me."

"That'll be the best part," Jake said with a smile as he put his arm around Gia's shoulders. "It's been so long, I almost forgot what it's like to live without worrying about everyone around you dying."

"It's what we're working towards," Gia said. "We'll get there."

"How about you, Orion?" Rebecca asked as the silver Ranger tried to sneak up behind her. Knowing he was caught, he grumbled and snapped his fingers. He sat down beside her.

"I thought I had you."

"Almost," Rebecca chuckled. "Once we save the world, what are you going to do? You're more than welcome to stay."

"I might head home."

"Home?" Noah frowned. "But, Orion, isn't your planet..."

"There's got to be something I can salvage," Orion said. "Everyone might be dead, but we've left millions of years of legacy. The Armada couldn't have taken it all."

"You might even find some people," Rebecca said but she was quickly nudged in the ribs. "Ow! What?"

"I've searched, but I guess it doesn't hurt to try again," Orion said. "My planet is pretty big."

"Worse come to worse, you can bring everything you find here," Troy offered him. "We'll find you somewhere nice to stay. Maybe you can even donate your things to a museum and teach people about Andrasia."

"You can show them not all aliens are bad," Noah agreed. "Hell, you'd probably take years off our research of the universe. If we combined our knowledge, who knows what else we can discover."

"Thanks, guys," Orion smiled. "It's really amazing to know I've got a home here with such amazing friends."

"Hey, you're coming back for the wedding, though, right?" Jake asked and then realized his mistake quickly. He had talked so much about his engagement to Gia with Vanessa and Emma, it had just slipped out. The Rangers all turned to him curiously. He quickly found a way to cover up, "Emma and Jordan's, obviously. Come on, we can't miss it."

"I'll be there," Orion nodded. Jake breathed a sigh of relief.

-Megaforce-

Vanessa couldn't find her way out. Not that she would risk trying to escape again. Her back still stung from her previous attempt and though Vrak wanted her alive, he had very little care for her wellbeing. As long as she did what he asked, he was happy.

And a happy Vrak was a merciful Vrak. So Vanessa followed his orders and hoped the Rangers would be quick to realize she was in trouble.

Vrak was the alien who wouldn't die. The Rangers thought they had defeated him once already, but Metal Alice, using her advance knowledge of technology and robotics, kept him alive. Since his return, Vrak had improved on his own body tenfold. He had upgraded his armour, improved his weapons, and had even figured out a way to make his own Robo-Knight. Vanessa had been told of Cliff taking on the Robo-Knight armour, as well as his suicide and the Rangers' recovery of the Robo-Knight technology, but it seemed that while Vrak had Cliff and the Robo-Knight, he had done his homework. On one of the walls hung the blueprints for Vrak's own robotic solider. Right next to it stood a near identical robotic warrior. So far, Vanessa hadn't seen it come to life, but it seemed like Vrak wasn't far from that milestone. And when he reached it, she was sure chaos would ensue.

But Vanessa wasn't here to help Vrak with the Robo-Knight. She was here to help Vrak with Vrak. He had shed his heavy armour in favour of a sleeker and stronger replacement. One that looked more like his original body. However, Vrak couldn't do all the work himself and needed an extra set of hands. That was where Vanessa was needed. She knew very little of Vrak's technology, but he was doing well to guide her through every step. So far, she had completed all the work on his face and had moved down to work on his chest. As she replaced his bulky armour for the stronger, flesh resembling one, Vrak looked down at her with a little smile.

"I have always enjoyed company," he told her. "Unfortunately, these four walls can leave a prince to feel quiet lonely."

"I'm just here to work, Vrak," Vanessa muttered. He brushed her hair behind her ear. Vanessa pulled away, dropping his chest plate as she did. "Don't touch me!"

"This doesn't have to be all bad," Vrak said. "Perhaps a new arrangement can be made..."

"I'm only doing what you tell me because I plan on still being alive when Gia and the others find me," Vanessa growled. She picked up his chest plate and pressed it to his body; covering up his more vulnerable biological and mechanical hardware with armour he had assured her was indestructible.

"You are building a better, strong Vrak," he reminded her. "By the time you're done with my body, I will have regained my royal appearance with upgrades to ensure your Rangers and my brother's forces cannot defeat me."

"You underestimate the Rangers."

"You overestimate their power. Though I can understand why. A mere Earthling like you would never be able to comprehend the strength and power of my forces. I am a far from advanced, intelligent and stronger species than anything you'll find here. Anything your Rangers can do, I can do better."

"So you say."

"Once I beat them, and once I get my brother out of the way, this planet will be mine to rule. Earth and every other planet under the Armada's reign will belong to me. I will no longer be known as Prince Vrak. I will be the emperor!"

Vrak gently stroked Vanessa's face, "And every emperor needs an empress."

"I'd rather die," Vanessa growled. She welded the chest plate onto Vrak's body to ensure there were no weak points or openings. As she finished, she let her torch drift just slightly over to a part of Vrak where his flesh remained. It burned him. He let out a howl, jumped back and then struck Vanessa across the face.

"Be more careful, you incompetent slave!" he shouted at her and then turned to the mirror to inspect his wound. The burn was quite bad and very painful. With a growl, he shifted his attention back to Vanessa. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up to her feet. "Your insubordination will not be tolerated!" he warned her as he dragged her off.


	34. Lies and Butterflies

That morning, Jake was up with the rest of his teammates for training. He practiced hard, giving his training a hundred percent the entire way through. Then he hurried off to the showers. He made sure he was clean and smelled good.

When that was done, he stepped out of his room and onto the deck. He was looking for Emma, but Gia found him first.

"Got any plans?" she asked him. This put Jake in a tough spot. He had recently revealed to Emma his plans on proposing to Gia. The pink Ranger had offered to help. It was a good thing for Jake. He knew Gia well and was sure that, on his own, he could come up with a great way to pop the question, but with the help of her best friend, he was guaranteed a perfect night.

However, planning a proposal meant secrecy. He had to hide what he was doing from the person he loved most. When it all came out, Jake knew Gia would understand, but for now, he had to be very careful what he said, what he did, and how often Gia caught him sneaking off with Emma. He didn't want her to assume anything.

"I... um... you know. Playing by ear," he said. In the corner of his eyes he spotted Emma taking pictures of the view. He really wanted to ask her to hang out so they could begin planning for the special night, but he couldn't turn down a date with Gia.

"Great. Because Noah found this really great place online for lunch and made reservations, but he's going to cancel. He's teaching Rebecca about some of the technology he and Tensou uses. I don't know why. All he said was a couple that studies together, stays together."

"Okay..."

"They offered us their reservation. Troy promised to watch Tiger, we can just take a couple of hours off. What do you say?"

The offer was tempting. Jake loved to spend as much time with Gia as he could get, but he really wanted to talk to Emma. He was really excited and had a great idea for the proposal that he wanted to run by her.

"Um, you know, I'm actually feeling a little off today," Jake placed his hand on his stomach. "I might have eaten something bad yesterday."

"You're telling me you're not hungry?" Gia frowned. "You, Jake Holling, aren't going to eat?"

"Rain check?"

"It's a reservation. We can't rain check."

"Why don't you invite Orion?" Jake suggested. "I'm totally cool with that."

"I really wanted to go with you."

"I'll make it up to you, I swear," Jake promised her and kissed her cheek. "Have fun with Orion. Teach him more about Earth foods. You know, yesterday I caught him getting confused with jell-o."

"I... alright, if you're really not feeling well," Gia sighed. Jake hated upsetting her but he knew he'd make it up to her someway. He waited for her to walk off in search of Orion before he tried to casually walk up to Emma. He leaned against the side of the ship and made sure to rub his stomach, just to keep up the pretense that he wasn't feeling well. Emma turned away from her camera for a moment and smirked.

"Under any other circumstances, I'd call you out for lying to her. You ate three pancakes before training."

"I know, I just have this amazing idea," he told her. "I want to run it by you before I forget."

"Writing it down never crossed your mind? You know, disappointing your girlfriend pre-proposal is really going to hurt your chances of her saying yes."

"I'll make it up to her," Jake said. "You know I will. Can we just go somewhere a little more private? Please?"

"Take me to the Butterfly Conservatory."

"Huh?"

Emma picked up her backpack and pulled out two tickets, "Vanessa left me a present from mom. It's been a while since I've been and I'd love to get pictures of something other than views and sunsets. Take me to the Butterfly Conservatory. We can talk there."

"Whatever," Jake nodded.

-Megaforce-

Gia wasn't angry, but she was disappointed lunch with Jake hadn't worked out. However, she had a nice time with Orion. The restaurant was a nice place and they served great food. Orion, as it turned out, could eat just as much as Jake and finished not only his plate, but what Gia couldn't finish of her own meal. And the conversation wasn't bad either. Gia got to learn a little more about Andrasia. By the way Orion spoke about it; it seemed like a great place to live. She could understand why he would miss it so terribly. However, it was missing something Earth had.

"You mean you've never seen a butterfly?" Gia asked as they stepped out of the restaurant. Orion shook his head.

"A bug that turns into a beautiful work of art? Nope. Not back home."

"It doesn't turn into a work of art. It just... let me show you," Gia said. "There's the Butterfly Conservatory just a couple of blocks down. Trust me, it'll be an experience you won't forget."

Orion agreed to go and walked with Gia down the street until they reached a building with pictures of butterflies all over the front doors. Orion couldn't help but stare at them, already attracted by their beauty while Gia laughed. She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

"You're going to love it," she told him. She walked up to the front counter and paid for both hers and Orion's tickets before they were allowed through. Orion was warned not to touch the butterflies, but that photographs were allowed.

It was after that when they stepped into the exhibit. At first, Orion didn't know what all the fuss was about. They seemed to be in a forest, and while it was beautiful with all its trees and flowers, it was nothing he hadn't already seen before on Earth or even back home. Then he spotted his first butterfly. It didn't just fly across his face; it seemed to float gracefully in the air, exposing to him the very intricate and colourful design on its wings. Orion gasped.

"It's... that's a bug?"

"Beautiful, huh?" Gia nodded. Orion turned to her to nod his head, but the spotted another butterfly had landed in her hair. He seemed a little worried.

"Gia, there's..."

"They're harmless. No fangs, stingers or poison," Gia assured him. "They most they can do is tickle you."

"Tickle," Orion asked. He saw another butterfly float by before it landed on a leaf. He leaned in closer to examine it, but remembered he wasn't allowed to touch. When he let out a breath of awe, though, he startled it and it flew off.

"You've got to be gentle," Gia told him. "Come on, the further we go, the more there are. "Once you're surrounded by them, you'll really see how amazing butterflies are."

Gia grabbed his arm and pulled him along the path. Orion couldn't help but admire every single butterfly he saw and how gracefully they moved through the air. There were colourful animals on Andrasia, but none that were so majestic and yet so fragile at once. He could see how delicate they were and that made them more valuable in his eyes.

"Metamorphosis," Gia told him as she reached to a leaf and picked up a caterpillar. She showed the little creature to Orion. "This is the butterfly's first stage. The caterpillar hatches from its egg and eats and eats as much as it can. When it's time, he wraps himself up in a cocoon. He hides inside for a couple of weeks and when he finally emerges, he becomes a butterfly."

"That turns into... these?"

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Gia smiled. She set the caterpillar back down on its leaf, "Butterflies are Emma's favourite. Every year before the Armada arrived; she'd head out to the wood to get pictures of the monarchs' migration. Dad bought her a book all about butterflies as a kid, and she had every page of it memorized by the end of the week. The only other time she's learned something that quickly, well... I don't think she's ever learned anything faster than that."

"How big was the book?"

"I dropped it on my foot once and was limping for a month," Gia chuckled. "It was well over a hundred pages. Some pages with pictures, but that's still a lot for an eight year old."

"I can see why she would be so fascinated by them," Orion said to Gia and then pointed down the path, "Look, there she is now. I guess she couldn't stay away."

"Emma's here?" Gia frowned. She glanced to where Orion was pointing and recognized the pink Ranger immediately. It didn't surprise her too much. Just before bed the night before, Emma found ticket to the Conservatory under her pillow with a note from her mother. However, the person to receive Emma's ticket did shock her. Gia grabbed Orion's arm and pulled him around the corner. "She's here with Jake!"

"We should say hi," Orion tried to step out of hiding. Gia pulled him back in.

"Orion, you're honestly a great guy, but you were my second choice for a date today," Gia told him. "I invited Jake out, but he said he wasn't feeling well."

"Maybe he's feeling better?"

"This isn't like him," Gia shook her head. "Why would he come to the Butterfly Conservatory with Emma when he told me he was feeling too sick to head out anywhere?"

"Maybe Emma talked him into coming?" Orion suggested. Gia crossed her arms.

"I can't talk Jake out on a date, where we were going to kiss, hug, hold hands, and potentially make out once we got home, but Emma can talk him into coming to see butterflies?"

"This is more of your complicated human dating stuff, isn't it?"

"Let's just go home," Gia muttered. She grabbed Orion's arm and quickly dragged him out to the exit.


	35. The Body Swap

Jake was used to carrying several bags. His father had taught him to be as helpful as possible when it came to girls and he liked being able to show his friends he could help. On the way home from the Butterfly Conservatory, he had offered to carry Emma's bag and the case for her camera, on top of having his own bag on his shoulders. He struggled slightly, which made Emma look up from her pictures with a little laugh.

"Are you sure you don't want me holding something?"

"I've got it," he insisted. "I'm not just a pretty face. I'm also a gentleman. How did your pictures turn out?"

"Great!" Emma smiled. "It's too bad I can't show Gia. She'd love this one."

Emma showed him the picture she had snapped of the butterfly that had landed on his nose. Jake had been surprised by it and Emma took the picture at the very moment he went cross-eyed. Jake muttered.

"She can't know we went out together. I told her I wasn't feeling well."

"I know," Emma nodded. "You will make it up to her, though, right?"

"That's why I want to beat her home," Jake said. "I want to tell her I'm feeling better and take her to dinner."

"She'll like that," Emma smiled. "Just try not to let it slip you've got big plans. Gia's pretty observant and knows more than you think."

"Yeah, I know that," Jake muttered. He shifted the bags around to get a better hold of them when he and Emma both heard some screaming. They looked down the street and spotted people running away from a monster. He turned to Emma with a groan. "Shit..."

"I'll call the others..."

"No, you can't," Jake shook his head and covered her morpher with his hand. "You do that; Gia will know we were out together."

"Jake..."

"She'll be pissed. She'll know I lied to her. This guy doesn't look so tough. We can handle him. At least for now."

"This proposal might get me killed," Emma said but she did agree with Jake. She had no reason to be out alone and Jake had told Gia he was feeling too sick to leave the ship. It wouldn't make sense for either of them to be out together or even alone. They were going to have to keep this battle under wraps and hope for the best. So together they morphed and charged at the monster. Both wanted to take him out quickly.

"There you Rangers are!" the monster said when he saw them. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"You found us!" Jake said as he shot the monster with his blaster. The monster stumbled back, but he didn't fall over. Jake's blasts weren't enough to hold him off. When he ceased fire, the monster lunged for him and took him down.

"i was hoping for more of a challenge," the monster said. He kicked Jake and left him to roll around on the pavement before he turned his attention to Emma. She swung at him with her sabre, but he blocked her attacks until he could finally grab her. He held her up by her throat. "Aren't there supposed to be more of you?"

"We can handle you alone," Jake said. He jumped to his feet and struck the monster in his back, forcing him to let go of Emma. The pink Ranger dropped to her feet and attacked with Jake to force the monster back.

"That's what you think!" he shouted. Jake and Emma were suddenly struck hard by a blast of energy and were knocked backwards. They landed in the streets, surrounded by smoke. When it lifted, the monster was gone.

"Well, that was short," Jake commented but something felt off about his voice and even the way he spoke. It seemed different. Softer, yet higher. He grabbed his throat, "Is this helium?"

"Um... Jake?" he heard a voice call his name. He turned to the source of the noise and screamed. He was looking at himself.

"Clone!"

"Jake, I'm not a clone!" his body said as it jumped up and grabbed his arms. Jake flipped him over. His body groaned, "Ow... Jake, calm down."

"Emma?"

"Yeah, it's me," Emma, in his body, answered. Jake frowned deeply.

"What? What the hell did this guy do? Why do you look like me?"

"I don't look like you. I am you!" Emma said. She walked over to where Jake had dumped her bag and pulled out a small mirror. She examined her face first and then pointed the mirror at Jake, "We've swapped bodies!"

"What? I'm... I'm a girl!" Jake touched his face. His skin felt soft and smooth. He looked just like Emma. "No... how... what..."

"We've got to tell the others," Emma said. She was about to leave when Jake grabbed her arm.

"Tell them what, exactly? We were out together, I lied to Gia, and now we've swapped bodies?"

"Jake..."

"We can make this work," Jake said. "The monster's gone. We'll pretend we never saw him."

"Jake! I'm you!"

"We can act the part," Jake said. He flipped his hair over his shoulder and smiled. He blinked rapidly, "I'm Emma!"

"I don't do that!" Emma frowned and punched him. Jake recoiled painfully.

"OW! Hey, watch it! You punch like me now!"

"Sorry. I guess I don't know my own strength."

"My strength."

"Whatever. Let's just... get back to the ship. We can figure something out there."

"You're right," Jake nodded. He grabbed all the bags and then he and Emma, in their swapped bodies, started to run back home. Jake couldn't make it far, though, before he had to stop. Emma noticed he was trailing and grumbled.

"What now?"

"How do you run with these?" Jake asked and pointed to his chest.

"Do you think I'm having a great time in your body?" Emma frowned. "Just, try to forget about it. We'll trade tips at home."

"This is so weird," Jake said. He shifted his bags on his shoulders and then grabbed his breasts in his hands as he started to run. Emma stopped him quickly.

"Hey! Don't touch those!"

"What else am I supposed to do?" he asked.

Emma grumbled, "Fine, but just... don't enjoy it so much."

"Trust me, I'm not," Jake answered. The two of them hurried back to the ship and hoped that even with their quick encounter with the monster; they had managed to beat Gia and Orion home. Unfortunately, right away they were proven wrong. Gia was waiting for them and she didn't look happy.

"Oh... shit," Jake, as Emma, grumbled. Gia crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well?" she asked and glared right at who she thought was Jake. Emma, in the green Ranger's body, gulped.

"Gia. You're home."

"Sick, huh?"

"I can explain," Jake, as Emma, quickly blurted out. Gia turned to him with a confused look. Then she saw Jake nudge Emma in the ribs.

"I can explain," he told her. "Um... I told Ja... er, Emma, about how I wasn't feeling well and he... she, uh, we went to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine."

"The Butterfly Conservatory has a pharmacy?" Gia asked. Jake and Emma looked to each other nervously. They had been busted.

"Um, what?" Jake, as Emma, asked.

"You know, what, never mind," Gia turned away to storm off. Jake, as Emma, ran after her and caught her arm.

"Wait, Gia, honestly, I can explain," he said. Gia looked to her best friend, demanding a quick explanation but Jake couldn't come up with one. Fortunately, Emma, as Jake, cut in.

"Emma was looking for you just after you left," she lied. "She had those tickets and really wanted to go. But when she heard you had already left for lunch with Orion, she was disappointed. I thought I was being a good friend by taking her."

"You told me you were sick," Gia glared at who she thought was Jake. Emma rubbed her stomach.

"I was. I didn't eat anything while we were out. Right, Emma?"

Jake didn't answer. Emma snapped her fingers, "Hey, Emma! I didn't eat anything, right?"

"Uh, me?" Jake pointed to himself and then nodded quickly, "Oh, yeah. But... he's feeling better now!"

"I... I am?"

"Much better," Jake nodded. "And he feels really bad for missing on lunch. He was telling me how he was going to take you out to dinner."

"A date?" Emma asked. Jake nodded his head.

"You're going to take her out to dinner."

"Ja... Emma, I..."

"You owe it to her," Jake growled to Emma. She sighed and then looked down at Gia with a nod.

"Be ready for six? I'll make it up to you, I swear."

"You promise?"'

"Of course," Emma nodded and then leaned in to kiss Gia on the cheek. Fortunately, after that, Gia let it go and walked off to her room. When she was gone, Emma punched Jake hard.

"OW! You're in my body, remember!"

"Are you sure you're not the one who forgot! I can't take her out to dinner! I can't date my best friend!"

"I owe it to her. And right now you're me," Jake said. "She can't be pissed at me. She can't know we're up to something. Please!"

"This proposal needs to be good," Emma muttered. "And you better do it soon. I _hate_ lying to her. And I don't want to date her!"

"Just, take her somewhere nice and talk."

"What if she tries to kiss me?"

"I... uh... oh..."

"Yeah," Emma sighed. She checked Jake's watch, "Alright, we've got four hours before this date. What are the odds that monster turns up again and either switches us back or we defeat him?"

"Slim to none," Jake said. "Knowing our luck, you're going on that date."

"I can't kiss my best friend!"

"If it's any consolation, she's an amazing kisser."

"That's not the point here," Emma sighed. She brushed her hands through her hair, "When this is over, Jordan and I don't just want a nice restaurant."

"Fine, what else?"

"A boat ride. At sunset."

"Those cost a fortune!"

"I'm sneaking around behind Gia's back, lying to her, and now I've got to pretend to be you and go out on a date with her."

"Just a boat ride? No musician."

"Wonderful idea," Emma smirked. Then she started to walk to Jake's room. He frowned.

"Where are you going?"

"My date's in four hours! I've got to get ready."

"It takes four hours to... what are you going to do? Wait, Emma!"


	36. Emma's Unusual Night Out

Gia was still a little angry about the events from earlier that day. When Noah and Rebecca had offered her their reservation to what had been a really amazing restaurant, she had been really excited to take Jake out. She had already been disappointed when he turned her down, but then was hurt to see he had gone to spend the afternoon with Emma instead. Not to mention, they had both tried to lie about it to her.

But she trusted them. She knew they weren't up to something behind her back. They would never betray her. It had been a little weird on the ship lately so she just chalked it up to that. Jake had promised to make it up to her with a night out. If that went well, she would be willing to set aside this nonsense on condition it never happened again.

Jake had told her to be ready for six. At six, she stepped out of her room and found him already there waiting for her. And he was actually dressed up. He wasn't wearing his jeans and sweater, but had put on a nice pair of pants and a button up shirt. His hair looked good and it seemed he had actually showered _for _the date. Gia was very impressed.

"Jake, you're... you look good."

"It's amazing what a little thought can do to an outfit," Jake said and cast a look Emma's way. She rolled her eyes. Emma, as Jake, looked back at Gia with a smile, "By the way, I love what you've done with your hair."

"You... noticed?"

"It looks good."

"Thanks," Gia blushed. She could tell Jake was putting a lot of effort into this night and knew he was trying to make up for what had happened earlier. It meant a lot that he was trying so hard. "Shall we go?"

Jake nodded, gently took Gia by the arm and walked out with her. A little ways off, the real Jake, in Emma's body, shook his head and sighed. So far, Emma had been able to impress Gia, but she had better not push too much or Gia was sure to find out. Jake wasn't a slob on dates, but Emma's insistence he put more care into his appearance could be the very thing that blew their cover.

"Missing Jordan?" Troy asked as he walked up to Jake. He frowned.

"What? No. Why would I... oh, I mean, yeah. Duh."

"Everything okay?" Troy asked. "You seem pretty weirded out by Jake and Gia going out."

"Everything's good," Jake nodded his head. "Uh, I guess I'll just never get used to seeing Gia with someone else. Uh, you know what I mean?"

"I hear you," Troy nodded and looked over to where Ryan was playing with Tiger, "Just the thought of her liking any boy other than me freaks me out."

"Yeah..."

-Megaforce-

Gia's shock by Jake's behaviour didn't end on the Sky Ship. They walked to the restaurant and Jake had actually picked a nice place to eat. It wasn't too expensive, but the food was still good and the service had always been amazing. Gia loved to come here and it seemed he had listened.

Then, he pulled her chair out. He took her jacket for her and sat down across from her. He asked her about her day and her lunch with Orion. He seemed interested more than usual and let her speak. Jake had always been an amazing guy, but for some reason, tonight, he just seemed even better.

But then, something strange happened. Jake didn't order his usual burger. He asked for the sandwich combo. And with his side of fries, he didn't want the gravy.

_And_ he had asked for vegetarian sandwich meat. Gia was in shock. Jake was almost as much of a carnivore as Tiger. He craved meat. This wasn't like him at all.

"No burger?" she asked when the waiter walked off. Emma, as Jake, quickly realized her mistake.

"Oh... um, my stomach's still feeling a little off. I don't want to be sick halfway through," she said. "That's no way to end a date."

"I guess, but you're going full vegetarian. That's... not like you."

"Emma suggested it," Jake said. "She said some fresh vegetables might help flush out uh... whatever's bugging me."

"And you're trying it?"

"It can't hurt, right?"

"It never has," Gia shrugged her shoulders. "Well, if that's what you want, I guess I can't stop you."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief but she knew she couldn't afford another mistake like that one. Not only did she hate having to lie, but Gia wasn't stupid. Her next mistake could be what tipped Gia off, and as much as Emma wanted to come clean, she didn't want to ruin the big proposal Jake was working for.

The date progressed. Emma, as Jake, really tried to act like Jake would on a date and with the exception of the vegetarian meal, she seemed to be pulling it off. She was even able to pick out Jake's favourite dessert from the menu. And, though it wasn't intentional, accidentally dropped some chocolate sauce on Jake's nice shirt.

"I thought this was going too well," Gia chuckled and helped Emma clean off the stain. "We'll wash that when we get home."

Once they were done with dessert, the waiter brought over the check. Emma put down some money and then walked out with Gia. But she started to get really nervous as she knew what came next. When they boarded the ship, it was pretty late. The others had either gone to bed, or were off somewhere relaxing. The deck was empty, so it was the perfect time for a kiss.

"I'll admit, I'm still not happy you lied to me," Gia told Emma, thinking she was Jake. "But tonight more than makes up for missing lunch. And, I guess, it was really nice of you to take Emma out. She was a little upset she couldn't invite her mother on the ship."

"Again, I'm really, really sorry," Emma said.

"Just, don't lie to me next time, alright?"

"Promise," Emma said and it tugged at her heart. That was already a lie. She could only hope Jake pulled off an amazing proposal.

Gia smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Emma closed her eyes and tried to bit the bullet, but she couldn't. She pulled away. Gia looked up worriedly. "Jake? Is everything okay? Isn't this your favourite part of the date?"

"I... uh... Just want to be careful," Emma said. "Uh, what if I'm actually coming down with something? Vekar had a cold and he must have got it from somewhere. What if I caught it too and..."

"I don't care," Gia chuckled and leaned in again for a kiss. Emma knew she couldn't turn her down twice and so closed her eyes and pursed her lips. Jake was right. Gia was an amazing kisser, but Emma couldn't get past the fact that she was kissing Gia.

Needless to say, the kiss couldn't end fast enough for Emma. Gia seemed to want more, though. She put her arms around Emma.

"I can kick the girls out of my room," she suggested.

"No!" Emma said a little too quickly and loudly. Now it wasn't just a matter of not wanting to kiss Gia. She didn't want to take it any further with her best friend _and_ she didn't even like to think of what Jake and Gia got up to after their dates, never mind see it through Jake's eyes. "Sorry... I mean... it's just... I don't think that pie's sitting well with me anymore."

"Oh. Are you..."

"Rain check on tonight?" Emma suggested. Gia nodded her head and Emma took off. Only she ran to her bedroom. She opened the door, saw herself lying in hers and Gia's bed and again realized her mistake.

"Oh, shit!" she rushed down the hall to the boy's bedroom, slammed the door and then leaned up against it with a sigh. That had been too close a call for her liking."

"Bad date?" Noah asked her. Emma jumped and turned around.

"Huh? Oh... no, it's just... bathroom!"

"You know where it is," Noah nodded. Emma ran into the boys' bathroom, locked the door and sunk to the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief.

But oddly enough, it had been both the weirdest and nicest date she had ever been on. She frowned and tilted her head slightly when it dawned on her.

"Huh..."


	37. In The Other's Shoes

Living with Vrak wasn't all bad. At least she got her own bed.

Vanessa was still sore from Vrak's latest punishment. After he had suggested making her his empress once he ruled the world, Vanessa had burned him. She didn't regret her actions. She'd do it again if he suggested something so ridiculous. She just wished the pain would go away. She wanted someone to know she was missing and find her.

She was sure that, by now, Claire knew something had happened. She had been due home over a day ago, and Claire was one to worry. But in her last message to her girlfriend, she had told her she had already left the Rangers. They had dropped her off safely just outside the city which meant anything could have happened to her. Vanessa didn't want her to run to the Rangers and worry them, but at the same time, the Rangers were exactly who she needed. And she needed them to worry about her.

But for now, she was on her own and she had to do her best to stay alive. While it was miserable living with Vrak, she didn't want Gia to suffer the pain of losing both her parents. She wanted to be strong so that when Gia did come for her, she wouldn't have to worry.

Vanessa rolled over in her bed and sighed loudly as she reached for the only thing Vrak had let her keep. It was the body of the tiger toy she carried with her, the toy she bought after leaving Gia as a way to keep her daughter close. Vrak had decapitated the toy to scare Vanessa, and had only let her keep the body as a reminder of what he was excited to do to Gia if she didn't reconsider his offer. Vanessa did have the chance to spare her daughter's life at no real cost to herself. Vrak, either way, would hold her as his prisoner for as long as he could. However, she knew not to trust him and hoped that, by refusing his so called generosity, she was getting under his skin. She hoped she could prove Morans weren't easily broken.

So she hugged the tiger body close to her heart and tried to imagine herself in a better place. She tried to imagine what the world would be like once the war was over, and how it would feel to be home with Claire and have both her girls safe and sound.

That day would come. She couldn't stop believing that.

Suddenly, the door to her room opened. Vanessa jumped as Vrak walked in. He grabbed her.

"You'll stay with me," he told her as he dragged her out of bed. Vanessa pulled away from him.

"Vrak, we're hundreds of feet below water. I'm powerless. I couldn't go anywhere if I tried. Please, just let me sleep alone."

"I'm not worried you'll escape," Vrak said. "I'm lonely. It's been a while since I've had company as beautiful as you."

"No!" Vanessa screamed and stepped further away from him. Vrak grabbed her arm and smirked. He loved toying with her only because he knew how it would hurt the yellow Ranger when it inevitably got back to her. He knew it would set her off and she would make mistakes trying to avenge not only her father, but now her mother's honour. He reached out, grabbed Vanessa's arm and again started to pull her towards his room.

Vanessa didn't give up the fight. She pulled away from him and when he refused to let go she bit down on his hand. Vrak howled. He had no armour there. It was all flesh. Angered she had defied him yet again; he spun around and smacked her hard across the face. She dropped, smashed her head against the corner of the bed. It immediately started to bleed. Vrak knew he had gone far enough. Not to mention, Vanessa's bite had been pretty nasty.

"I assure you," he warned her as he knelt down before her, "If you prove you're more trouble than your worth, I will have no problem disposing of you as I see fit, and replacing you with another. Your little girlfriend, perhaps. Or if I'm feeling really adventurous, one of your precious Rangers."

"I'll never let you hurt them," Vanessa growled. "They'll find me, and as soon as Gia finds out what you've done..."

"I look forward to that day," Vrak smirked. He kissed Vanessa's check and then walked out of her room. She cried out angrily, reached for the fallen pillow by her bed and tossed it at the door before she curled up into a ball on the floor. She wanted help. She needed help.

Now.

-Megaforce-

Jake was up early the next morning not because he had anything to do. He was just so uncomfortable in his body. It had been almost a day since a monster had swapped him and Emma and he was desperate to be back where he belonged. It wasn't that he didn't like Emma, or that there was anything wrong with her; he just preferred his own body. It felt weird being a man trapped inside a woman's body.

Emma seemed to have the same problem. She was up not long after Jake and seemed all around uncomfortable and even a little embarrassed. Jake looked to her.

"What's up?"

"Does it do that every morning?" she whispered even though no one else was awake. Jake frowned.

"What?"

"You know," Emma whispered and pointed to her pants. Jake noticed she was a little hunched over and had her hands in her pocket. He chuckled.

"Oh. Yep. Most mornings. Just be glad you woke up before the others."

Emma shuttered as she took a seat at the table with Jake. She turned to him, "Did Gia tell you about the date?"

"She shares a lot," Jake nodded his head. "Like... everything. I know exactly what happened."

"Yeah, that's what we do," Emma chuckled. "I know more than you think."

"That's embarrassing," Jake said. "Do all girls share that much?"

"We don't hold back," Emma said. "If it makes you feel any better, she knows just as much about Jordan. It's nothing personal."

Emma then turned to Jake, "By the way, I hope I didn't cross any lines."

"Em, it's fine. I trust you. Besides, I don't think there are any lines established for this," Jake said and pointed between them. "You kiss her goodnight?"

"Yes."

"She's a good kisser, huh?"

"Really good," Emma nodded her head and turned to Jake curiously. "Where did she learn to do that thing with her tongue?"

"Dude, I don't know, and I don't care," Jake chuckled. "I think it's something she picked up from Cliff but I'm not going to bring it up."

"Smart," Emma said. "It's something I might teach Jordan. Although, speaking of Jordan, I've got to tell him about this."

"What?"

"It's hard enough sneaking around Gia," Emma said. "I can't keep this from Jordan forever. He's got to know that at one point, I kissed someone else."

"Can it be after Gia finds out the truth? I don't want him to start blabbing about this before the big day," Jake suddenly sat up straight, "Oh, by the way, butterflies!"

"Where?" Emma looked around. Jake chuckled and shook his head.

"Not here. For the proposal. Before we went to bed, Gia was telling me all about her trip with Orion to the Butterfly Conservation. She says it felt so peaceful there and she was hoping that me going with you would get me thinking about taking her there."

"If she wanted to visit the Butterfly Conservation, all she had to do was ask me," Emma said. "I'd take her any time."

"I want to propose there," Jake said. "It'd be the perfect spot. And you could find somewhere to hide out and take pictures. It would mean the world to her if she had a nice shot of the moment."

"You got all that out of her?"

"She shares _a lot_ with you," Jake nodded. "I also know she likes that shirt you wore on our date. Please tell me that chocolate stain will come out. It'll really impress her if I wear it. Oh, and I'll need roses. The yellow ones aren't romantic, but they're her favourite. Apparently, if I ever brought her yellow roses, she'd fall in love with me all over again."

"Why yellow? Well, I mean, she likes yellow, but for roses, isn't red..."

"She likes yellow," Jake shook his head. "Emma, how amazing would it be if I got this right? If I made her dream date come true and proposed to her all at once?"

"You might just kill her," Emma smiled. She turned to Jake, "Thank you."

"For killing your best friend?"

"For remembering all this. For caring enough about her to want to make her feel special," Emma said. She looked down at her hands, "For Gia's birthday, Cliff... had his way with her."

"Yeah, I know," Jake sighed. Emma shook her head.

"Jake, he didn't take her to dinner. He didn't buy her flowers or a card, or even a gift. Gia still believed in him at that time. When he invited her to his place, she thought he was preparing something special. She thought he was actually going to make her feel like he cared about her and he would be different. Instead, he just had his way with her and then kicked her out before his parents got home. She spent the night in the street because she was too ashamed to go home."

"She never told me that," Jake frowned. Emma nodded sadly.

"I found her the next morning on my way to Ernie's. She slept in an alleyway. Some homeless guy took her money, her shoes, her jacket."

"Her birthday's in February. Didn't she...?"

"She was pretty cold," Emma nodded. "I brought her home. My parents weren't there. I let her warm up. I didn't say anything but I was kind of hoping for her next birthday, someone would be nice enough to at least buy her a card."

"She deserves more than a card," Jake said. Emma smiled at him.

"Thank you."

"I'm going to make this special," Jake said. "I want her to know just how much I love her."

"She loves you too, Jake," Emma said. "I know she might not say it much. But last night, when we were on our date, the way she would look at you..."

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Jake smiled. "Do you remember, when this Ranger thing first started, she wanted nothing to do with me? Now she's... I mean something to her. I'm special. A girl like Gia thinks I'm special."

"You are," Emma said. She turned to Jake, "Don't screw this proposal up. I'm not saying that as her best friend. I'm saying that for you. You deserve to have this go well."

"Thanks, Em."

Suddenly, their morphers went off. Both breathed a sigh of relief as they jumped out of their seats. The other Rangers hurried out of the bedrooms to see what was going on.

"Looks like we're in for an early start," Gia muttered. "Tensou, any idea what this guy can do?"

"Not yet. I'll let you know as soon as I do."

"Alright. Come on, guys. Let's be careful. We don't want to start our day with any weird spells or problems."

Jake and Emma looked to each other and couldn't help but chuckle. The monster was the one that had swapped their bodies, but their friends didn't know that, and they intended on keeping it that way.


	38. Another Problem

Vanessa had no idea Vrak kept tabs on all the Ranger battles, but he did. As she completed her work on his new upgraded armour, Vrak was watching the fight that was taking place between the Rangers and Vekar's latest soldier. As she worked, Vrak explained the monster to her, as well as his ability. He could swap people's bodies.

"That doesn't sound so scary," she muttered but Vrak heard her. He seemed to agree.

"My brother is losing his edge," he said. "Typically, Tranceferer was used to switch places with the ruler of an empire so as to command armies and planets to surrender to us."

Vrak looked down at Vanessa, "Those were more peaceful times."

"What happened?"

"Peaceful is not quite entertaining," Vrak smirked. "Nothing feels better than having a whole population coward before you. Nothing feels as good as power. Tranceferer was fired. Vekar must be running short on soldiers if he's called him forward."

Vrak sighed and shook his head as the Rangers defeated the monster. Vanessa looked up hopefully.

"Wait, you mean the Armada's almost empty?"

"The Armada, yes," Vrak answered. "But I assure you, there are far stronger, far less merciful forces out there. Myself, for instance will..."

"Wait," Vanessa stopped working on Vrak's leg for just a moment when she spotted new, red creatures appear on the screen. She hadn't seen them before, though they seemed to resembled Vrak and Vekar in physiology. She pointed to them as she turned to Vrak, "Who are they?"

"No," Vrak shook his head. He finished welding his armour to his leg himself and then rushed to the screen for a closer look. "This... this can't be!"

"Vrak, who..."

"Imperial guards," Vrak whispered. "It seems my father's arrived."

"Father?"

"If they destroy the Rangers... everything's ruined!" Vrak shouted and then kicked his computer in anger. "How will I prove myself to my father this way? How can I show him I am the superior son?"

"Your father is coming to Earth?" Vanessa asked again. "And you're scared of him?"

"If he defeated the Rangers, I'll be seen as a fool! For betraying my brother, I'll be a traitor!"

"How would defeating the Rangers change anything?" Vanessa asked. "If your brother's the prince and you're the younger son, wouldn't betraying him be a huge no-no anyways!"

"I'll have proven my brother's incompetence! I'll have succeeded where he failed with the Rangers! But if my father rids this planet of their protectors... I'll have nothing to show. All my work will be seen as treason!"

Vrak rushed to his second computer and began typing away feverously. Vanessa continued to watch the screen as the Imperial Guards fought the Rangers. There were only two of them against the six Rangers but they seemed stronger, faster, and all around more evil than any soldier the Rangers had faced before. They sent the Rangers to the ground, leaving them alive with the message that the emperor was coming and they were to prepare the planet for the invasion.

"Don't just stand there, you idiot!" Vrak suddenly shouted at her. "Bring me the new Robo-Knight!"

"Vrak..."

"NOW!" he shouted. Vanessa hurried off to do what she was told.

-Megaforce-

After defeating the monster, Jake was back in his rightful body, but he didn't have much time to enjoy it. Right away, the Rangers were attacked by a new force, this one stronger than they had ever faced. They introduced themselves as the Imperial Guards, and they had warned the Rangers of a new threat coming to Earth.

The Rangers were rightfully worried, but Gia seemed to take the news personally. As soon as she got back to the ship, she didn't bother with Tensou's examination. She stormed off to her room and slammed the door.

"I'll talk to her," Jake told the others and followed her inside. He found her pacing, with Tiger up on her bed watching worriedly. Jake sat down beside the cat and pet her head to keep her calm until Gia turned to him.

"We've beat mutants, robots, insects," she said. "We're fighting Vrak, we've facing the entire fucking Armada..."

"It's a lot."

"How are we meant to win?" Gia shouted. She kicked the chair. "If someone's always going to come popping up, how the hell are we meant to save the world?"

"We'll figure something out," Jake told her. "Come on, Gia. We always do."

"I want to go home!" Gia said. "I just want this all to end. I've been waiting almost two years to kill Vrak! It's been almost a year since the Armada appeared! It's been almost a fucking year since we thought we were done being Rangers! We're still at it!"

"I know."

"Now some new guys appear and announce something bigger is coming? Something worse than Vrak and the Armada?"

"Maybe Vekar called in reinforcements?" Jake suggested. "I mean, come on. That last monster was pretty weak, right?"

"A body swapper?"

"How weird would it be if one of us switched bodies?" Jake chuckled.

"Weird, but we could probably figure it out pretty quickly," Gia said.

Jake nodded. He stood up and took her hands, "Look at me, Gia. We've come this far. We've been kicking ass and taking names. The mutants, robots, bugs, Vrak, Vekar, they've all thrown challenges our way and we've overcome them. We're amazing."

"Jake..."

"We can handle these guys. We'll take care of them and we'll save the world. You just can't give up."

Gia sighed. She looked over to Tiger. The cub was staring up at her hopefully, lovingly, and with admiration. Gia pet her head.

"You believe in me, Tiger?"

"You're her hero," Jake spoke for the cat. "You're a lot of people's heroes. You're the yellow Ranger. Captain of the Megaforce Rangers. Defender of the Earth. And when you're not Super Mega, you're Gia. Gia Moran. The girl who can do anything. Who faces adversity with that little grin because she knows she's tougher than anything out there. I mean, look at what you've done! You beat Cliff!"

"I did, didn't I?"

"I'm proud of you. We're all proud of you. We all know you're going to do great things. And with a colourful team of minions by your side, the Armada and anyone else won't know what hit them."

"Minions?" Gia asked. Jake shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, you give out commands, we follow," he nodded his head. "Plus, we're super loyal and sometimes we drive you crazy, but you love us."

"I do love those crazy minions," Gia smiled. She grabbed Jake's shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. "Thanks, Jake."


	39. Can't Lose Again

Hearing there was something coming that was bigger and stronger than anything the Rangers had faced before, Rebecca felt sick. The Rangers, her brother especially, had assured her they were going to do everything possible to stop the invading forces and come home safely, but Rebecca still worried.

No, worry wasn't the right word. She was scared. She was completely, absolutely, mortified.

Her friends were all she had. Her mother had died years before, her father had all but abandoned her, her adoptive parents had been killed by the Armada. Her friends were her family. Her friends were the only people she had in her life who loved and cared for her. Yet they were all Rangers. They were all potential and very likely victims of the war to come. If she lost them, any of them, another piece of her heart would be broken.

So the night after the appearance of Imperial Guards, Rebecca couldn't sleep. Images, fear, passed through her mind constantly. All she could think of doing to calm herself down was step out onto the bow and take in some fresh air.

"Hey," Noah whispered as he approached her. He put his hand on her shoulder first so she knew where he was and then he pulled her into his arms. "You okay?"

Rebecca shook her head, turned around, and buried her face in Noah's chest. She was crying, but softly. Still, it was enough to worry the blue Ranger. He wrapped his arms around her tight and kissed the top of her head.

"Becca? Talk to me."

"I don't want to lose you," Rebecca whispered. Noah grabbed her arms and looked straight at her.

"You're not going to lose me."

"I don't want to lose any of you," Rebecca said. Noah held her face softly. Since she had lost her sight, it had become difficult for him to share his feelings with her. He wasn't much in the way of actually saying how he felt, often because he got too nervous. He wasn't confident like Jake and Jordan. Most of the time, his face did the talking for him while his mouth blabbered on about something that often didn't make sense to his friends or Rebecca. When she couldn't see his face, she sometimes couldn't tell if he was blabbering nonsense, or he was just stumbling over a thought because he was too nervous about how she would react to his true feelings.

Noah had learned his touch was now an equally effective tool for conveying his emotions sincerely. Rebecca could now easily pick up on subtle differences not just in where he touched in, but in how he touched her. Was it soft and gently, or firm? Was it lovingly or with annoyance? Was he trying to protect her or just hold her back. Rebecca knew, sometimes better than he did.

"I'm tired of seeing you lose," he told her. "I told you I'd protect you. I told you I'd always be there for you."

"And I trust you, Noah. But... we don't know what we're up against anymore. What if something happens? What if Jake or Gia or Emma or Orion get hurt or... Or worse?"

"Hey, they're all tough. Don't worry about them."

"By or worse, I meant you," Rebecca said. "You or Troy."

Rebecca sighed. She pulled away from Noah's hands and turned back out to the view. "I love the others. Don't get me wrong. The thought of anything hurting them makes me mad."

"I know," Noah chuckled. "I remember you karate chopped that branch when it nearly took Jake's eye out on a walk."

"Good times," Rebecca smirked and then she shook her head. "You're special, Noah. I don't need to tell you that. You're smart, you're strong, you're nice. You're... well, perfect!"

"Well, I wouldn't call myself perfect..."

"You're perfect to me," Rebecca said. "Noah, whenever you're around, I feel whole again. I haven't felt that way since before my mom died. If I lose you, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You'll still have your brother," Noah assured her. "Not that I have any plans of going anywhere anytime soon. You're stuck with me."

"I hope so," Rebecca said. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. "But... Troy scares me too."

"He's your brother. I get it," Noah nodded.

"He's not just my brother. He's my only family. Real family, I mean."

"What about Ryan?"

"Again, don't get me wrong. I love that little girl more than anything," Rebecca said. "But... Troy's blood. Noah, he took me in when I thought I didn't have anyone. He took me in before I straightened out. Back when I was still a horrible pain in the ass. He cared about me when no one else did. He's the one who put me on this path so I could meet all of you. He's the reason I changed. He's why I want to do better. I don't want to let him down."

"Rebecca, you could never disappoint him," Noah promised her.

"But I don't want to lose that either. Troy's like... my purpose. If he's gone... I'm scared of what'll happen to me."

"You'll have me. And Gia. Everyone. We'll be here..."

"But none of you are Troy. No one can take his place. He's my brother. My only real family I have left that can't just abandon me. Mom's dead. Dad's gone. Troy... he's my last hope at having something... real."

Rebecca looked up sadly, "Not that what you and I have isn't. Or my friendships with the others. It's just..."

"I get it," Noah assured her. He squeezed her gently. "I don't want to see you lose again. Trust me, you're going to be okay. We're all going to be okay."

Almost as soon as he said it, Noah's morpher beeped. Rebecca looked worried. He kissed her before he rushed to his computer to see what was happening in the city. He barely got the chance to open it, and the other Rangers had only just left their rooms when the ship jolted suddenly. Rebecca lost her balance and fell to the ground while the others all grabbed onto each other, the table, or a nearby wall or railing to stay on their feet.

"What's going on?"

"Becca, get inside," Troy told her. Rebecca shook her head and followed her friends to the side of the ship. While they jumped over to tackle the problem at hand, Rebecca waited for news worriedly. Tensou rolled up beside her.

"That's Argus," he announced. "Prince Vekar's most loyal soldier."

"Most loyal?" Rebecca asked and gulped. "Why would Vekar send out his most loyal and..."

She trailed off as she turned to Tensou, "He's ending it, isn't he?"

"The Rangers can pull this off," Tensou said. "They're morphing now. We should get below deck. I'll steer the ship away. We'll be safe."

Rebecca gulped. She listened carefully for what was happening below and could hear the sounds of the Rangers battling already. She could only hope Tensou was right.


	40. Noah vs Argus

Noah wasn't sure how it happened, but when Argus and his troupe of X-Borgs attacked, he found himself face to face with the big commander. Noah was confident he was a strong enough Ranger for the task, but surely someone else wanted a piece of Argus. Surely one of the physically stronger Rangers would have an easier time holding him off.

But that didn't stop Noah giving the fight all he had. He had traded his blaster for Emma's sword. It felt like ages since he had learned to master the double swords, but since that fateful day he had only gotten better. He remembered how Rebecca stood by his side, worried about him and his well being as he suffered again with his confident, but she did believe in him. She knew, and perhaps had always known he had the strength to face down opponents alone.

Argus was just another Skatana. Another foes that believed because he had years, perhaps centuries of experience in combat, he was better. But Noah had beaten Skatana. Perhaps, he could do more than jsut hold Argus off until his friends were done with the X-Borgs. Perhaps he could actually beat him.

"The Prince has ordered your destruction!" Argus announced. "You're a fool if you think you'll be able to resist the powerful forces of the Armada!"

"Hey, we've done it so far," Noah shrugged. So far, Argus hadn't landed a single hit, through Noah had struck him twice. Of course, Argus wore thick armour. Noah's two strikes had done absolutely no damage. With that in mind, Noah had a better understanding of Argus' approach. He didn't need to worry much about defense. His armour was so strong, it could take several hits before Argus needed to be concerned. Argus was an offensive fighter. Noah needed to find a way to use that against him.

He couldn't figure it out fast enough. A strong strike from Argus knocked one of Noah's sabres from his hand and set it across the battle field. It was out of Noah's reach. If he ran for it, Argus would either come after him and strike while his guard was down, or simply shoot him down with the blaster he had in hand. Noah knew he had to keep fighting. At this point, he had to hope to wear Argus down. Of course, it seemed as though Argus was a robot and couldn't tire out. Overheat, perhaps, but Noah didn't want to count on that happening. He needed a new plan.

Argus was fast. Nothing fazed him. Nothing could even slow him down. Before Noah could come up with anything, he felt Argus' blast strike him in the chest. He was sent back and smashed into a parked car. When he hit the ground, he curled up, clutching his ribs painfully. It was then he really hoped one of his friends was coming to help him.

That didn't work out either. Noah heard some cries and an explosion back where the others were fighting the X-Borgs. He noticed Argus look as well, though it was just for a moment before he charged towards the blue Ranger. He didn't care that the other Rangers weren't around. He would gladly finish them all off one by one if he had to. Assuming his friends were caught up in their own intense battle, Noah had to act as though he was in this fight on his own. Argus brought his sword down, but Noah blocked it with his sabre and jumped up to his feet quickly, resuming his fight with the robotic soldier.

Argus decided he had had enough with the fun and games. Noah noticed his sword glowing and knew he was powering up for something big. Noah had no idea what to do to stop it.

"_You're perfect to me,"_ Rebecca voice rang in his head. _"Noah, whenever you're around, I feel whole again. I haven't felt that way since before my mom died. If I lose you, I don't know what I'm going to do."_

He remembered the look on her face, the desperation in her eyes. The eyes she had lost function of because of him. He was her boyfriend. He was her hero. She looked to him for love and protection. She had lost a lot in her life, but he had made a promise she would never lose him.

He felt power coursing through his veins. His sabre started to glow as well and instantly he knew how to focus his energy. When Argus launched his attack, Noah countered with his own. They met halfway, each blowing the other across the street. Noah hit the ground hard, but he was still alive, still breathing, and still morphed.

"Noah!" he heard Jake call his name before his best friend was by his side. "Sorry, dude. More Imperial Guards turned up. They're brutal."

"Really?" Noah muttered sarcastically. "Because Argus and I were just sitting here talking."

"Well, looks like my intimidation tactic is working just fine!" Vekar announced cockily as he appeared next to Argus. The robotic soldier was already up on his feet, standing loyally next to his prince. Vekar smirked. "This planet will be mine soon enough, Rangers! I've got forces far more powerful than anything you've ever imagined at my fingertips!"

"Forces like what?" Gia asked, tilting her head to the side, "Figure out a new way to throw a tantrum."

"I... You Rangers just don't fight fair!" Vekar shouted then straightened himself up and looked to the Rangers confidently. "I'll bet you weren't expecting this! My father's sent me my latest weapon!"

"Father?" Troy asked with a deep frown.

"Imperial Guards. Prince Vekar," Emma turned to her teammates, "It all makes sense!"

"Wait, you mean this was just the pre-invasion?" Jake shook his head. "Oh boy."

"If you're tired, you could surrender," Vekar offered. "Though I would love the chance to try out my new toy, you could save me and yourselves the time and just hand this planet over to it's rightful owner."

Gia's response was to blow a raspberry. Vekar couldn't see it behind her helmet, but he could hear it. He stomped his feet.

"That's it! Levira, send down my Megazord!"

"He's got a Megazord?" Orion asked. Jake turned to Gia.

"Wait to go. Piss off the Prince."

"Still worth it," Gia shrugged. "So what if he's got a Megazord. We've got two. Ready?"

The Rangers nodded and as Vekar hopped into his new Megazord, the Rangers settled into their own.


	41. The Prince's Megazord

"They built him a Megazord!" Vrak cried out angrily as he punched the table where his monitor stood. The entire table shook and the monitor fell over. Vrak swiped it to the ground and then turned around in a huff as he paced the room. Vanessa knew Vrak wanted to keep her alive, but with his temper boiling up, she feared for her safety. She was an easy target, and the Rangers were so caught up in their battle with Vekar's new Megazord, they weren't likely going to be coming to her aid for a long time.

So she had to find a way to calm him down on her own.

"Maybe he thinks he needs it," she suggested to Vrak. He shook his head.

"Why give such a powerful weapon to such an incompetent soldier?"

"Take it from a parent, Vrak. We give our kids everything we think they need for them to succeed. Maybe... Maybe your father's been watching Vekar and isn't happy with the progress he's made. Maybe he agrees Vekar is incompetent and he's trying to change that by giving him a weapon."

"You lie."

"No! I swear! I did it all the time with the girls," Vanessa said. "Gia was always great in school. She just excelled naturally. Emma always needed a little help. My husband and I would spend hours tutoring Emma, especially in math. Gia thought it was because we liked her better that we were giving her more help but it was really just because Gia didn't need it and Emma did."

"You're saying my father believes in me?" Vrak asked. Vanessa nodded.

"Probably more than Vekar."

"Well, that is an interesting turn," Vrak lightly stroked his chin. "Father did always surround Vekar with the best warriors."

"He'd have to," Vanessa said. "You, you could take care of yourself. You were strong. Vekar... well, you know him better than I do, but I get the feeling he's a bit of a..."

"Coward?"

"Wimp."

Vrak nodded and then turned back to his monitor. It was laying on its side, but Vrak could still tell how the battle was going, and though the Rangers were putting up a good fight, everything seemed to be working in Vekar's favour.

"Perhaps, this is a blessing in disguise," Vrak said. "If my brother can finish off those Rangers... they won't be standing in my way."

"He won't beat them."

"Even better," Vrak smirked. He turned to Vanessa. "If the Rangers can defeat my brother, even with my father's help, they'll be weak. Tired. Vulnerable. Vekar will have failed in my father's eyes. I'll step in; defeating the Rangers will be a breeze! My father will praise me for my work, my competence. He might just hand me his throne on the spot!"

Vrak picked up his monitor and set it upright. He watched the battle taking place with delight and found himself, for once, actually rooting for the Rangers.

-Megaforce-

While Vrak had high hopes for the Rangers, on their end, nothing seemed to be going right. Vekar's Megazord wasn't just powerful, it was also impenetrable. None of their attacks seemed to do any damage and they were taking hits left and right.

"We've used almost every key possible!" Jake cried out. "How the hell is this guy still standing?"

"We can't let him win," Troy shook his head. He grabbed on to his wheel tightly as he tried to keep the Megazord upright, but that suddenly became too much. Vekar's Megazord unleashed a powerful attack straight at the Rangers and it took everything they had just to stand against it. And Vekar wasn't letting up.

"Energy levels are low," Emma announced.

"Guys, get out of here," Troy ordered. His teammates turned to him curiously. Gia spoke up.

"What?"

"I'll take care of this," Troy said. "The Megazord won't be able to take much more of this, but we don't have to go down with our ship."

"Someone's got to pilot the Megazord or..."

"I'll do it," Troy interrupted Noah.

"Hey, Troy, you're not the captain," Gia called out, "And I'm pretty sure the saying is..."

"Vekar's just the tip of the iceberg, _Captain_," Troy reminded her. "There's still the rest of the Armada and Vrak to face."

"Troy, we're all in this," Jake announced. "Rangers together..."

"This planet needs its protectors," Troy said. "I'll be fine, guys. Just eject. Get out of the Megazord! No sense in Vekar getting all of us!"

"Troy..."

The Rangers didn't get the chance to protest any further. While Gia had been made captain, Troy was still the red Ranger and he was still sitting at the main control panel of the Megazord. He pushed the button to send everyone out of the Megazord but himself. The Rangers were thrown from the Megazord and hit the ground scattered and unmorphed. Gia picked herself up quickly and looked up at the sky as Vekar put more power into his attack.

"You idiot!" she shouted at Troy as it blew to pieces and the Sky Ship flew through the air, miles away from the city. She shook her head, fearing the worst.

"Gia!" Jake and Emma called her name and ran over to her. Gia caught them both in a hug and then saw Orion limping towards them.

"X-Borgs," Orion said before the others could welcome him. He gestured over his shoulder and the three could hear the sounds of the X-Borgs getting closer. Sore from their battle, and still not yet a full team, as well as unsure of Troy's condition and whereabouts, the Rangers all agreed at once that they couldn't handle another fight.

"Here, I'll boost you up," Jake put his hands together and lifted Gia up into a tree. When she was securely in the branch she reached down and hoisted Emma, then Jake, and then Orion. The X-Borgs passed under them, unaware of their presence.

-Megaforce-

When Noah hit the ground, he immediately looked up and saw the destruction of the Megazord. He knew it was bad news. The Megazords were designed to take heavy beatings. They were made to protect the Rangers. If the Megazord was gone...

Noah didn't even want to think about it, though he knew what it meant.

"_No one can take his place. He's my brother. My only real family I have left that can't just abandon me. Mom's dead. Dad's gone. Troy... he's my last hope at having something... real."_

Rebecca's voice rang in his head again and Noah could only imagine what she would think. Inside the Sky Ship, she would be safe. Maybe a little rattled. He was sure she hadn't lived through the fight unscathed, but the inside of the Ship was even more protected than the Megazord cockpit. He was sure she was looking around right now for her brother and it pained him to think she would find him dead. Noah couldn't imagine any way for Troy to survive.

He clenched his fists. Vekar may have gotten one Ranger, but that was where he stopped. Troy would be the last death the Rangers had to suffer, and he would be the last thing Rebecca ever had to lose.

The thought of her possibly all alone sitting over Troy's dead body hurt him so Noah knew he had to find her. His friends would be okay. They were Rangers and as long as they stuck together, they could keep each other safe. Rebecca would need someone. She would need him. This time, he wasn't going to let her down.

Noah had a pretty good idea of where the Sky Ship had gone. He didn't know where exactly, but he wouldn't find it by sitting around. He jumped up to his feet and started to run. The only thought he had on his mind was Rebecca and making sure she knew she still had him.

But he wasn't the only one in search of the Sky Ship. On his way, he heard Argus calling him over. He stood and turned. The robotic soldier was standing at the ready for another fight.

"Not you again," Noah muttered. "Get out of my way!"

"You'll have to fight me," Argus stated. "The Prince has ordered your destruction. I will not rest until you are all destroyed!"

"If a fight's what you want, a fight's what you'll get," Noah pulled out his Ranger key and morphed instantly. He had lost in his previous fight with Argus, but he was more determined than ever for a victory. He needed to avenge Troy, and Rebecca's safety was on the line. He had no choice. He couldn't fail her again.


	42. The Mighty Blue Ranger

Right off the bat, Noah was getting his ass kicked. It was an advantage machines had over humans. So long as they weren't damaged, they could keep working at a consistent rate. Noah was exhausted from his last battle with Argus, as well as the Megazord battle against Prince Vekar. He didn't have all the strength he needed to start off strong. Argus got a quick swing in that knocked him right off his feet and then smashed his sword into the ground, causing it to shift and sent Noah back up into the air. When the blue Ranger landed again, he was more tired than ever.

"This is almost too perfect," Argus said as he approached Noah slowly. "One Ranger down and another on the way."

"That's... what... you... think," Noah panted as he rose to his feet. He rushed Argus but was blasted back before he could even think of which attack to try. He landed on his stomach a little ways off.

But Noah wasn't a quitter. He got up again and he tried to fight Argus again. Unfortunately he was met with the same results. Argus was just toying with him, like a cat with prey. Noah had seen Tiger do it with a mouse that had once found its way onto the ship. This was fun for Argus.

Then again, Tiger never truly captured that mouse. Not only had Emma ensured it left the ship alive, but Tiger had underestimated the mouse's capabilities. She thought because she was bigger and the apex predator, the mouse was helpless. When the mouse decided it didn't want to be her next meal, it surprised Tiger by biting her paw and then scurrying off.

If that mouse could escape Tiger, Noah could beat Argus. He had no choice. It needed to be done.

Argus powered up his next attack and Noah couldn't do anything to stop it. But he did all he could to lessen its effect, powering up in the Blue Mighty Morphin Ranger. Legendary Mode took more energy, however, it was better at absorbing attacks. Argus quickly knocked him back into his Super Mega Mode, but Noah wasn't as breathless as he could have been.

He played the part of the injured opponent, laying almost helpless on the ground. He heard Argus chuckle.

"Do you give up?"

He clutched his sabre in his hand, took a few deep breathes and tried to focus.

"_Tori gave me a few pointers and taught me some of her ninja tricks. I can't promise I'll be the big, strong boyfriend you deserve anytime soon, but I'll train and practice and get better so that when this happens again... This isn't going to happen again. I'm going to keep pushing myself so that no matter what happens, you know you're always safe with me. Please, just give me a second chance and I promise I'm going to look after you."_

Noah remembered his promise, and with Troy now out of the picture, it meant even more to him. Someone needed to look after Rebecca. She needed to know there was still someone out there who cared for her.

"You're not going to hurt the people I love anymore!" Noah shouted as he jumped up and started to make his way over to Argus. The robot launched several attacks Noah's way, but none of them could hurt him more than knowing he had let his friends down, let Troy's sacrifice be in vain, and that he had disappointed Rebecca.

He felt his power coursing through his veins once more, but this time it felt stronger. He focused it into his sword, charging it up so that, once he did attack Argus, he would have enough power to destroy him for good. Argus kept up his attacks but none of them would stop Noah.

None of them could. Argus would have to kill him if he wanted to stop him.

"You pathetic Ranger!" he shouted and fired one final strike right at the blue Ranger. Noah lifted his sabre just in time to stop it and felt his power hold off Argus' attack. He was keeping him safe, but that also meant he was losing power.

He was losing a lot of power. Fast! He wasn't strong enough anymore. And with Troy gone and without his friends for help, Noah didn't have anyone else to rely on.

"I've never been the strongest," he said to himself, "But that's not stopped me before."

He looked to Argus' attack. He could feel all of his enemy's forces pushing up against him. Argus was a very tough opponent and very powerful. He continued to hold off Argus' attack when he saw the blue of his Ranger suit. Finally, it him him. Not the attack, but an idea.

"I do have more power!" he said. He demorphed. A very risky move, considering if this didn't work, he was dead without protection, but he needed to try something. Argus would kill him otherwise anyways. He put all his energy from his Ranger Powers into his attack. It gave him more strength. Not everything he needed, but just enough for him to push on his sabre slightly. As it moved forward, it became easier to fight against Argus' attack.

And then, it happened. Noah let out a cry as he deflected Argus' attack and sent it right back to its owner, along with all the power from his own attack and his Ranger suit. Noah dropped to his knees as an explosion rang out. When the smoke cleared, Argus' head rolled over to Noah. He picked it up with a smile on his face.

"I... I did it!" he smiled. "I... I beat Argus!"

Noah wanted to celebrate, but he couldn't just yet. There was no sign of Argus' body, but Noah didn't want to risk the Armada reconstructing him. He held the head firm and stumbled over to a nearby rock. He smashed the head down, cracking it open to expose whatever was inside. Noah couldn't completely understand Armada technology, but he knew enough about robotics to figure out Argus' wiring. He removed the memory piece and tore apart vital wires. He pocketed everything he was sure the Armada would want to recover and then shattered the rest of the head.

"This was for Troy and Rebecca," Noah said as he dropped Argus' remains and then started to run through the forest. He needed to find the Sky Ship. He needed to get to Rebecca. She would be upset, surely, but at least he could let her know he had destroyed Argus, Prince Vekar's right hand man.

"Noah!" he suddenly heard her call and turned around. He saw her running towards him with a bright smile on her face. She seemed a little banged up, likely from when the Sky Ship had crash landed, but just fine. He opened his arms and caught her in a tight embrace.

"It's okay," he assured her. Rebecca squeezed him and then pulled away.

"You had me worried sick!"

"Don't worry about me," he said. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere. We'll get through this."

"Get through... what are you talking about?"

"Troy," Noah said. "He sacrificed himself so we could survive Vekar's attack in the Megazord. We ejected but... Rebecca, there's no way he survived."

"No way, huh?" Troy asked as he limped into view. Noah pulled his glasses off and wiped them with his shirt. When he put them back on, he still couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"You... but you... How did..."

"I got lucky. I am a little sore, though." Troy admitted. He hugged Noah. "The others..."

"I haven't seen them," Noah shook his head. "I... I thought you were gone. I though Vekar killed you. I came out here to find Rebecca."

"Me?" Rebecca pointed to herself. "Aw... why?"

"What you said to me earlier. About losing us. I thought Troy was dead so... I didn't want you to think you were alone."

Noah reached into his pockets and pulled out what he had taken from Argus. He put it in Rebecca's hands.

"What's this?"

"Argus."

"No, seriously?" Rebecca frowned. Noah chuckled and turned to Troy. Even the red Ranger didn't believe him. Rebecca shook her head. "No offence, Noah, but Tensou was giving me a rundown of Argus before Troy broke the Megazord."

"I didn't..."

"Yes you did. But that's not the point," Rebecca turned back to her boyfriend. "Argus is like... the man. He's Vekar's personal body guard. His most loyal, powerful soldier. He's like... he's the... You know, super tough, super powerful, super dude!"

"Yeah, I know," Noah nodded. He took Rebecca's hand and placed on one of his cuts. Rebecca gasped.

"You're hurt!"

"I'm fine. I won."

"You... am I really holding Argus guts?"

"Noah, you really... you beat Argus?" Troy asked. Noah nodded his head. He took the wires and the memory card from Rebecca and then held her hands softly.

"I promised I'd protect you. I... you know, this would be a lot more romantic if you were dead," he said to Troy. The red Ranger held up his hands.

"Sorry. I'll try to remember that next time."

Noah chuckled. He turned back to Rebecca with a smile, "Becca, you remember when you lost your sight. You remember how you lost faith in me, and I promised I'd make up for my mistake? I promised I'd never, ever, let anything hurt you again?"

"Yeah? Wait... you mean... you beat Argus, by yourself, for me?"

"Thanks to you," Noah said. "I didn't want you to be alone. I didn't want the Armada to hurt you anymore than they already had. You know, because I thought Troy was dead."

"Again, sorry," Troy chuckled.

"So you," Rebecca smiled up at Noah, "Noah Carver. Mr. Brains over brawn. Mr. Scrawniest guy on the team, even scrawnier than Gia and maybe even Emma, defeated the big bad Argus all on your lonesome? Using nothing but your wits and strength, strength you built up for me?"

"I... yeah. I did. Now Argus is out of the way and the Armada is..."

Noah couldn't finish. Rebecca jumped into his arms and pulled him in for a kiss. He smiled, put his arms around her and pulled her in closer. Troy sighed loudly as he turned away.

"Well, this is awkward..."


	43. The Big Moment

It took a while for the Rangers to regroup. Tensou managed to get the Sky Ship up and running again so Noah, Troy, and Rebecca could find their friends. When they did, they quickly brought them on board. The four Rangers were glad to see Troy was alive. Just like Noah, they had feared the worst when they saw Vekar destroy the Megazord.

But after that, the attention shifted from Troy to Noah. No one could believe the blue Ranger had defeated Argus all on his own.

"Dude..."

"Seriously," Noah nodded and smiled at Jake. The green Ranger raised his hand and high-fived his best friend.

"But... how?" Orion asked. "I mean, I don't think any of us could have beaten him alone."

"I was highly motivated," Noah said with a little grin as he lightly squeezed Rebecca's arm.

"That is impressive," Gia admitted, "But, unfortunately, it's not enough. Argus is down and it's a big help, but Vekar's still up there. This isn't over yet."

"Gia's right," Troy nodded his head. "Getting Argus out of the way is a big help, but I don't think Vekar's going to take this sitting down. And with that Megazord..."

"We'll figure something out," Emma said with a smile. "Guys, come on, we're so close! If we stop Vekar, we've got the Armada off our back. It'll just be Vrak and..."

"Whatever else is coming," Jake reminded her.

"It's still better than dealing with the new guys, Vrak, and Vekar," Orion pointed out. He turned to Tensou, "Is the Megazord okay? Can we use it if Vekar shows up again?"

"I can have it up and running in a matter of moments," Tensou nodded his head. "Breaking apart is a safety feature. It's better the Zords come apart themselves than completely shatter in an attack."

"We used everything we had against Vekar, though," Jake said. "I mean, every key, every Zord, every combination. We even combined our Megazords and he still ran us over. Tensou, please tell me you've got something..."

"I'm all out of weapons," Tensou shrugged. "I'm sorry. I can get started on something, but I don't think it'll be ready in time for when Vekar decides to strike again."

"We can make do with what we have," Troy suggested. "Noah overcame the odds. He made us all proud today. If one of us can stand up to Argus and beat him, all of us should be able to take our Vekar. We've just got to remember what we're fighting for."

"The Earth," Emma smiled. "We can't let him take what's ours."

"Our families," Noah agreed and again squeezed Rebecca's arm. She turned to Troy with a sad look on her face. He caught it instantly.

"My family. Vekar killed my parents, remember?"

"Hey, just say the world, we'll let you deliver the final strike," Jake said. Troy shook his head.

"I just want him gone. I want him out of the way. My parents don't deserve their fate and no one else should have to suffer because of him. We're not just trying to stop the Armada. We're Rangers because people are counting on us. Our friends, our families. Vekar and his whole fleet have made people as innocent as Ryan suffer for nothing."

"Don't bring that kid into this," Gia shook her head and had a little tear in her eye. "Fuck, now you've got me motivated."

"Guys, we don't need keys. We don't need weapons. All we need is a reason to fight. We all want to go home. We all want to protect this planet and our parents. That's all the power we need."

"Dude, you're so cheesy right now," Jake chuckled. Gia nudged him lightly and then smiled at Troy.

"Cheesy, but right. Vekar's had everything handed to him. When things don't go his way, he stomps and screams. He's never had to work for anything. He's never had to fight for anything. We know what it's like to be the underdogs. To be knocked down. We know how to get back up. He doesn't. We only need to beat him once and he's done. We just need this one chance."

"For the Burrows, and everyone else Vekar and the Armada have hurt," Emma cast a smile Troy and Rebecca's way. "We can do it."

"And Andrasia," Orion pointed out, raising his hand slightly. Gia put her arm around his shoulder and nodded.

"We haven't forgotten Andrasia. Jake? Noah? What do you guys say? You in?"

"Hey, I'm on an all time confidence high after today," Noah nodded his head. "I'm so in."

"Me too," Jake said.

"We're gonna beat Vekar!" Rebecca sang happily and then started to dance around Noah. "Hey, Vekar, guess what? You mess with the wrong set of Rangers!"

"Rest up, guys," Gia smiled and pulled her phone out from her pocket when she felt it vibrate. "We don't know when Vekar's going to turn up next. We want to be at full strength when he does."

"I'll make you all dinner," Rebecca offered and grabbed Noah as she dragged him off to the kitchen.

As the Rangers scattered around the ship, Gia opened up her messages. She wasn't sure who would try to reach her but figured it they were texting, it had to be important. When she saw it was a message from Claire, she started to worry. She opened the message. Her heart stopped.

"Hey, Gia..."

"Mom never made it home," Gia looked up at Jake as he approached her. He stopped.

"What?"

She showed him the message, "Claire's been looking everywhere. Mom never made it home."

"Gia..."

"Jake, there's no reason why... we dropped her off near the city. She... I mean..."

"Gia, there's got to be a reason for this," Jake put his hands on her arms and looked her in the eyes. Gia shook her head.

"Jake..."

"Once Vekar is dealt with..."

"Jake, please," Gia whispered. "It's my mother."

"I... But...," Jake sighed. He couldn't come up with a reason for Gia to stay. He knew how badly she wanted to leave. He knew how much her mother meant to her. But it had crossed his mind that Vanessa's disappearance had everything to do with Vrak. The second half of the alien brothers had been quiet for a long time, and his persistence in targeting and toying with Gia was very well known. "I love you."

Gia nodded and smiled softly, "I love you too, Jake. And under any other circumstances..."

"Go get 'em," Jake assured her. "This is the moment you've been waiting for."

"You're... You're letting me go? Jake, you can't come with me. The team needs all the help they can get against Vekar..."

"I know," Jake nodded. He kissed her forehead, "Just please promise me you'll be safe."

"I'm getting mom back, Jake."

"Just, please, just tell me you'll be safe," Jake looked directly at her. "I know you're going to do whatever it takes but I just... I need to hear it. Gia, please..."

"I want to come home," she promised him. "I'll try to be safe."

Jake smiled. He put his arms around her and hugged her tight. He wanted a longer goodbye. He wanted something a little more real, but he knew she was anxious to go and he knew every second mattered. He let go of her and she darted off, jumping over the side of the ship as she morphed.

"Jake?" Emma called him. He turned around and saw her looking confused. No doubt she had seen Gia leave the ship. "Where's she going?"

Jake sighed and lowered his head. He had every faith Gia would fight her hardest to make it home, but he couldn't stop himself from worrying. There was nothing he could do to protect her anymore. Tears came to his eyes. Emma approached him slowly.

"Jake? What's going on? Why did Gia leave?"

"I might never get the chance to ask her to marry me," Jake whispered. Emma looked up at him worriedly. He nodded, "Your mother texted. Apparently, Mrs. Moran never made it home."

"What... Vanessa's... And you let her go!"

"Emma," Jake grabbed her arm before she could take off after Gia, "We've got Vekar to worry about, remember?"

"Jake, we can't just..."

"She's a big girl. A strong girl," Jake said. "She needs to do this. We promised her this chance."

"Yeah, but... Jake..."

Emma didn't get another chance to argue. Her morpher sounded. Jake's as well. They looked out over the side of the ship and could see Vekar was back in his Megazord, laying waste to the city.

"The team needs us more," Jake reminded Emma. "We need everything we can get to fight him. Gia's strong. She'll be okay."

"You better hope so," Emma whispered.


	44. A Prince's Fall

The Rangers had been looking forward to this day for a long time. Vekar and his Armada had been a pain in their side for so long. Everyone had dreamt of Vekar's destruction, but no one more so than Troy.

They had every weapon in their arsenal. With the keys of the former Rangers at hand, the Rangers could call forth many different Zords and Megazord combinations. That had to be enough to stop Vekar. Troy wouldn't believe otherwise.

"Remember what we're fighting for," Troy told his teammates as he inserted the red SPD key, unleashing the Delta Runner to smash into Vekar's Megazord and hopefully weaken it. "Our families, this planet. Everyone's counting on us."

Almost as soon as he said this, Vekar shot the Delta Runner, blasting it off the road and soaring across the sky. It wasn't destroyed, but its power levels were too low to operate.

"Mystic Dragon!" Troy placed the red Mystic Force Key to summon the dragon Zord. It flew around Vekar. Troy wanted to confuse and force the alien prince to take his attention off him and his teammates, but Vekar did no such thing. Again, he shot at the Zord, disabling it from the Rangers' arsenal.

"You'll pay for what you did to Argus!" Vekar cried out. His Megazord broke into a spring and grabbed the Ultimate Legendary Megazord. Vekar brought up his knee, jabbing it into the Rangers' stomach. While nothing could technically hurt the Megazord, every impact counted. The Megazord' armour was left dented, the Rangers were rattled, and energy levels dropped just to ensure the Megazord remained on its feet during the assault.

But Vekar didn't stop with a knee to the gut. He beat the Megazord several times before then swinging his arm into the Rangers' head. Again, they were shaken, their armour weakened, and their energy levels dropped.

But Vekar was only getting started.

"We can't keep this up!" Emma shouted.

"We're not going to," Troy shook his head. He inserted the Ninja Storm Key, "Samurai Star!"

The Ninja Storm Zord burst out of the Megazord's chest. Troy summoned it for two purposes. Its arrival in battle pushed Vekar off the Megazord, giving the Rangers a little room to breathe and find their bearings, and the Zord attacked the Prince. The Samurai Star divided into smaller versions and dove towards Vekar.

"No!" Vekar shouted. His Megazord raised its hand and shot down all the Zords until there was just the original left. He grabbed it in his hand, threw it to the ground and then stomped on it. "I will avenge Argus! My most loyal, trusted commander! You will pay for what you've done to him, Rangers."

"Great. You pissed him off," Jake muttered to Noah. The blue Ranger shrugged his shoulders.

"How was I to know he'd throw a hissy fit over losing?"

"Because that's all he's ever done," Emma chuckled.

"He's nothing but a big baby!" Orion shouted as he glared through the screen at Vekar. "We've just destroyed Argus, but you wiped out my entire planet! This is what real payback looks like!"

Orion grabbed control of both his wheels and commanded the Megazord move forward. It charged Vekar, grabbed his Megazord by the neck and lifted it high off its feet.

"You may be our most stubborn planet," Vekar announced, "but you humans will fall just like everyone else."

Vekar kicked his legs out, smashing them into the chest of the Rangers' Megazord to break himself free from their hold. He landed a little ways off, on his feet, and then raised his hand.

"Say goodbye to your precious planet, Rangers," Vekar smirked. The cannon on his arm charged up.

"Troy, any good ideas?" Jake asked.

"Red Lion!" Troy called the Zord forward and as Vekar fired his next blast, the Red Lion jumped in front of the Megazord. He blocked the attack, taking the impact himself, but he still had a little energy left. Being sentinel, even when he was heavily damaged, his will to protect the Earth could keep him going. The Red Lion charged forward and grabbed Vekar in a powerful bite around the waste.

"Get him, Lion!" Emma cheered the Zord on. The Red Lion was doing a great job on his own, but the Rangers knew they needed to help.

"Flying Punch!" they cried out as the Megazord leapt into the air and then came down on Vekar with a powerful punch that knocked his Megazord off its feet and flat into the ground. The Lion roared loudly to shake the ground before it retreated, needing desperately to recharge.

"No, no, no!" the Rangers could hear Vekar screaming and they saw sparks from his Megazord. They knew they had managed to weaken it. Now they just needed to finish it off.

But something felt amiss to Troy. Something about the way they were finishing off Vekar didn't seem right. After everything he had done and all the innocent lives he had ruined or even taken, finishing him off in a Megazord battle wasn't a sweet victory. Troy looked down at his hands and he knew what he needed to do.

"Orion, you take over as Captain," he announced. His teammates all turned to him.

"Dude! Where are you going?"

"Orion's in charge," Troy said to Jake and the others. "Finish him off, buddy. For your family, for Andrasia. I'll make sure you guys get the chance you need."

"Troy, Gia's already taken off," Emma said as she pointed to the empty yellow seat. "We'll need everyone..."

"I'm helping. Trust me," Troy said and then stepped out of the Megazord. He looked down, seeing the city below, as well as the long drop. But he clenched his fists, thought of his sisters and his parents, and knew he had no other choice. He jumped from the Megazord into Vekar's and then broke inside. Vekar was just getting back into his seat when Troy grabbed him by the back of his gown and ripped him away.

"Destroy his Megazord, guys!" Troy commanded his teammates. "Make sure he won't be able to use it again. I'll take care of Vekar."

"No, this isn't how the fight's supposed to go!" Vekar shouted. He tried to get away from Troy, but the red Ranger was enraged. He kicked Vekar in the chest, knocking him to the floor again just as the Megazord shook. His Rangers were giving it the beating it needed so Troy knew he had to move fast.

"Your days of trying to conquer the Earth are over, Vekar!" Troy said. "I'm not letting you hurt anyone else again."

"You stay in your Zord, I stay in mine. Those are the rules..."

"You threw the rules out the window the day you killed my parents!" Troy shouted. He kicked Vekar again and jumped on top of him when he was on the ground. He grabbed the prince by the shirt and smashed him into the floor. "You're done torturing me, my friends, and my family!"

"You brought this on yourself, red Ranger," Vekar shouted and clapped his hands. In an instant, the cockpit was flooded with X-Borgs and Bruisers. Troy didn't have the time to fight or even the will to focus on anything else but Prince Vekar. With the Rangers beating into the Megazord, shaking everything around, most of the X-Borgs and Bruisers couldn't get a proper footing. Those that could and used their balance to approach Troy were quickly shot down by his blaster. When they were all finished off, Troy glanced down at Vekar. The prince looked up at him in horror.

"How are you...?"

"We've gone easy on you, Vekar. All those monsters, all those battles... we were never fully motivated. We wanted peace, not war! You decided to continue with the assaults. You decided to keep pressing the Rangers' buttons. Well, guess what, your _highness_. You've finally worked my last nerve!"

Troy smashed his fist into the prince's face, "You've forced my hand! You've personally attacked me, my friends, and my family, and now you've left me with no other choice. If fighting you, and killing you, is the only thing that's going to ensure my sisters have a peaceful life from here on out, I'm not holding back!"

Troy punched the prince again. Vekar cried out in anguish but he didn't know how to make it stop. Being the Prince, the leader of the Armada, he had never had to fight. He always had his commanders and his soldiers do the hard work while he took all the glory. He had never been trained for combat and had never even been expected to defend himself. Now, his birthright had cost him. He had bitten off more than he could chew with the Rangers. While he sat on his throne and watched them defeat monster after monster and foil plan after plan, they had been fighting, getting experience and training. And while he managed to dwindle down their numbers and their support somewhat, they found they had nothing left to lose.

Those were the worst opponents for Vekar to face.

"Stop it! Stop it!" he shouted and tried to cover his head with his hands. Troy wouldn't stop. He wouldn't give up. Vekar had no mercy for his parents or even little baby Ryan when he had fired the missile. He had no mercy for the Rangers, their lives. If the roles were reversed; if Vekar had Troy pinned down and crying out for mercy, letting him live wouldn't have crossed his mind.

"It sucks, doesn't it!" Troy shouted. "When the shoes' on the other foot. When you're the one being attacked, conquered, and destroyed! You'll pay for everything you've done. Everyone you hurt! Andrasia, my team, my family!"

Troy powered up into the red Samurai Rangers, held his Spin Sword tight and slashed Vekar. He could hear the Prince's cries for mercy and cries of pain, but he didn't stop until they did. He didn't let his assault end until Vekar was dead.

And he timed it right. The Megazord was beginning to come apart. Troy heard the self-destruction count down begin and knew he only had seconds to get out before he went up in smoke with the Armada Prince. He transformed one more time, into the red Ninja Storm Ranger, and Ninja Streaked to safe grounds.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his teammates. The battle had taken place in the city. They had already taken out an entire neighbourhood to destroy Vekar's Megazord. They couldn't let anyone else get hurt. The Megazord fell on top of Vekar's just at it exploded. While it couldn't contain the blast completely, it did its job. Troy watched with tears in his eyes, hoping his friends had escaped in time.

"Toy!" he heard a little voice cry out and turned around. Ryan had appeared behind him and was running up to him happily. Even when he was morphed, she knew it was him. She knew the red Ranger was always her big brother. Troy smiled, dropped to his knees and caught his youngest sister in a tight hug.

"I did it, Ryan. I did it for you," he whispered. "The bad man who took our parents is gone. He'll never, ever hurt you again."

"Are you okay?" Troy looked up when he heard Rebecca ask. He nodded his head.

"I made it out. You?"

"Orion demanded we leave," Rebecca said. She had on her hand on Tensou's head and pat it lightly. "Even our chamber wouldn't keep us safe. He said it was for the best."

"He made the right call," Troy said. He scooped up Ryan and then hugged both his sister tightly.

"What about the others?" she asked. "If we wouldn't have been safe...?"

"Dude, come on," they heard Jake chuckle. "We're crazy, but we're not stupid. You think we'd stay in there?"

"You made it!" Rebecca smiled. She moved away from Troy and jumped into Noah's arms. He hugged her tight.

"I promised I wouldn't leave you."

"Is Vekar really gone?" Orion walked up to Troy. The red Ranger nodded his head.

"Dead," he nodded. "I didn't let up until I was sure. And even if he wasn't by the time I was done with him, no one would survive that."

"There's no signs of life anywhere in the neighbourhood," Tensou announced. "I mean, aside from us. We're all here. All accounted for, right?"

"Not all of us," Emma said as she turned to Jake. He nodded his head. He had promised Gia this was her moment to beat Vrak, avenge her father, and protect the rest of her family, but now that Vekar was out of the way, he had nothing better to do but help her. Emma felt the same way. Everyone did.

However, before they could take off, they felt something knock them off their feet. The Rangers dropped to the ground and powered down, just like they had been hit by something hard.

Only they hadn't. Rebecca and Tensou were still standing and were looking to them curiously.

"What just... happened?" Troy asked and grabbed his head. He turned to Tensou, "What..."

"Oh... Oh no!" Tensou cried out. He tried to rush into the Megazord wreck but Rebecca pulled him back. Tiger bit down on his wheel. "The database! The main frame! The weapons!"

"Tensou, what's going on?" Noah asked. He knelt before the little robot.

"Everything I was working on. I kept it stored in my computer on the Sky Ship! If it was destroyed, your Super Mega powers are gone!"

"Our... powers?" Troy asked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his own key. But rather than see the red Super Megaforce Ranger, all he saw was a little statue made of stone. He glanced to his teammates. Their keys were all the same.

"I've got to salvage what I can!" Tensou announced. He broke free of Rebecca's grip, pushed Tiger off his wheel and shoved Noah out of the way. "I'll do whatever I can, Rangers! I promise! I won't let you down!"

The Rangers watched him go and then looked down at their keys again. Orion grumbled loudly.

"Well, this sucks," he muttered. Noah shook his head.

"We've still got our Megaforce powers," he announced. "If we can find our bags in the wreck, we've got the morphers Gosei made. They aren't as strong but..."

"I don't have one," Orion reminded. "Or have you forgotten I'm new?"

"Oh... That's a good point," Noah nodded his head.

"Shit!" Emma suddenly shouted and grabbed Jake's arm in a death grip. "Gia! She doesn't have it either!"

"Why not?" Orion asked.

"She threw it in the ocean," Jake said as it dawned on him. He had watched her throw it away when they first believed their duties as Rangers was over. It had been out of anger. She thought she had defeated Vrak, but it hadn't brought her father home. She had wanted nothing to do with the Ranger life after that and so let her morpher go. It had been lost since. Tensou couldn't track it, and the Rangers were certain it had sunk to the very depths of the ocean.

"We find our powers first," Troy said. "We can't defeat Vrak unarmed. Everyone, find your bags and..."

"Troy, if we can't do it..." Jake said. Troy shook his head.

"We need as many people alive as possible!" Troy shook his head. "We don't know what's still coming for us. Gia's tough. She's proven that. We can't show up empty handed for her."

"You might not be able to," Orion said. "But I've got no powers to search for. If Gia needs help, I'm going after her."

"Dude, keep her safe," Jake begged. Orion looked him in the eyes and nodded slightly to promise before he took off running. Right behind him was Tiger. She sprinted out ahead of him, running so fast she was quickly out of sight.

"Let's find these morphers fast," Troy announced to the rest of his teammates.


	45. A Moran Victory

Gia couldn't explain why it had happened, but right in the middle of her fight with Vrak, her powers failed her. They knocked her down, disappeared without warning, and left her Super Mega Key, as well as every other in stone. She couldn't use them; she couldn't use her morpher or her weapons.

And the worst part of it all was that she was outnumbered. She had known Vrak would have something up his sleeve. She had known she would be in over her head. She had known she wouldn't come out of this fight unscathed, if at all. But she hadn't seen this coming.

Once her powers were gone, she tossed her morpher at her opponent's face and started to crawl away. She hoped to get a minute to strategize. Her opponent didn't agree. Robo-Knight 2.0, Vrak's newest creation, grabbed her ankle and before she could do anything to stop him, he tossed her across the room and into the wall.

"Gia!" her mother screamed and tried to run for her, but Vrak held her arm tight and kept her back. Vanessa fought against him but she couldn't do it. She wasn't strong enough. Gia glanced over just to let her mother know she was okay. At the same time, she saw the numerous scars and wounds on her mother's face and arms. Vrak had caused them all. Every single last one was his doing, and Gia was determined to make him pay for it.

But first, she needed to get past Robo-Knight 2.0. Vrak was hiding behind his soldier, a coward like always. Though nowhere near as bad as his brother, Vrak preferred to keep his distance from fights if at all possible. It was one of the reasons he had managed to survive this long. The Rangers never really got a direct path to him. The few times they had, he had proven he didn't need his soldiers. He just enjoyed watching battles more than winning them for himself.

"Morph, Gia," her mother begged her as Gia started to climb to her feet. "Sweetie, please..."

She couldn't morph. All her keys were stone and her old morpher was still in the bottom of the ocean. Coincidentally, so was Vrak's lair, but Gia couldn't just take a walk on the seafloor. Not to mention, with all the different currents and the tide washing in and out she had no idea if it was even still near the continent. She was on her own this time.

Robo-Knight didn't seem to mind fighting an unarmed opponent. As soon as Gia was up on her feet, he grabbed her around the neck and smashed her into the wall. Gia tried to gasp for air and clawed at the robot's hands but to no avail.

"No!" Vanessa screamed. She tried again to break free from Vrak, but he held her tight. She turned to him. "Please, Vrak, please don't kill her! I'll do anything! Just let her live!"

"I've been waiting for this day a long time," Vrak smirked. "The yellow Ranger at my mercy. What to do. What to do..."

Gia wasn't ready to die. She wasn't ready to let anyone else control her fate. She grabbed Robo-Knight's hand and pulled herself up. She wrapped her legs around his arm and hung on. It didn't stop him choking her, but it did relieve some pressure from her neck. It also seemed to surprise the robot. Vrak likely had never programmed a response for when a foe hugged his arm.

"What are you doing?" Robo-Knight asked. He shook his arm. "This is not how you fight. Remove yourself, Ranger."

"Gladly," Gia smirked. She slipped off Robo-Knight's arm and then swung her legs out, sweeping him off his feet and into the ground. His metal hit the floor with a loud clang, but Gia knew it would take a lot more than that to deactivate him. Robo-Knight, the original, had nearly impenetrable armour. It took a lot to break it. The Vulcan Cannon was really the only thing Gia had seen that was strong enough.

She was sure it was a little different with this Robo-Knight. He was an improved model and Vrak's creation. But surely, there had to be a way to break him. There had to be some way to get past the armour so she could shut him down.

Gia couldn't think for long as Robo-Knight got up and made his way closer to her. She could see he was ready to try and grab her again. Either choke her, throw her around, or smash her into the ground. She couldn't let him get the better of her again and so far, without her weapons, the only thing that seemed to do her any good was when she latched on to him arm.

So she did just that. As Robo-Knight charged for her, she jumped. She tried to go over his head but his reflexes were fast. He caught her leg mid-air. Gia wouldn't quit and grabbed him under the arms as she clung on to the back of his shoulders. He tried to pull her down.

"Remove yourself from me, Ranger!" he commanded.

"Make me," she answered. She could feel under his arms there was a socket. She grabbed onto it as Robo-Knight pulled on her legs. He was much stronger than she was but she hung on as tight as she could. Then she felt something tear. First, it was the flesh on her hands as Robo-Knight's armour pierced through her skin. Her hands instantly felt weak, but she was desperate and kept holding on. Then she felt a piece of Robo-Knight's armour bend. He was pulling so hard that as long as she didn't let go, he would ruin if not tear off his shoulder armour.

Robo-Knight didn't notice. He couldn't, because he felt no pain. He pulled Gia off his shoulder and she took with her his two shoulder plates. He threw her to the ground. She dropped one, but the other stayed in her hand. She looked to it with a smile. Now she had a weapon strong enough to take out the Robo-Knight armour. As he came towards her, she smacked the side of his head with his own plate. She heard a loud clang and Robo-Knight stumbled to the side. The armour was dented. So was his face. She hit him hard with the armour again and this time his head cracked. So did her armour, but that sharpened the edges.

"I will conquer this planet for my master," Robo-Knight announced. He shook his head and made his way towards Gia again. She swung at him once more, but he brought up his hand. The armour left a dent and scratch in his arm, but slipped out of Gia's hands. From being torn up during the removal of his armour, they were getting weak.

"Shit," Gia say she was empty handed again and so had to go back to her first plan. Robo-Knight swung for her. She ducked and slid between his legs. She jumped up behind his back before he could turn around and latched onto him.

This time, he didn't have his shoulder armour. They had been exposed, and so had some of his circuitry.

"I'm no Noah," she said, "But that might be a good thing."

Seeing a wire, she grabbed it and ripped it out. Robo-Knight started to spark. She did the same in the other shoulder, and then the same with anything she could grab and pulled out until Robo-Knight loss the use of his hands.

"What are you doing?" Robo-Knight asked her. He tried to shake her off his back, but without his hands, he couldn't do it. Gia wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I'm not going anywhere!"

"You leave me with no choice," Robo-Knight informed her and Gia could see he was backing up. He was running backwards to the wall. He was going to crush her.

"Never mind. You win," she said as she slipped off his back. He stumbled over her and hit the floor. Gia covered her head but then noticed she had dropped right next to the other shoulder armour she had taken off. She picked it up, and just as Robo-Knight started to rise again, she tossed it at him. The armour sailed through the air until it hit him in the forehead, cracking open his head. He fell back again and Gia rushed to jump on top of him. She smashed his head until she could reach inside, grabbed anything she could get her hands on and ripped it out.

"No! NO!" Vrak shouted. He let go of Vanessa and raced across the room to stop the destruction of his Robo-Knight. He had been working on his latest soldier for months, using the Rangers' technology and working out any bugs he noticed while he had Cliff under his wing. All his research, all his efforts, and the yellow Ranger had destroyed it in an hour.

"You insolent, pathetic, fool!" he shouted as he grabbed Gia's wrist. He pulled and bent it, then threw her to the ground. He kicked her in the ribs once, twice, three times before Vanessa came after him.

"Don't hurt her!" she shouted. Vrak wouldn't have it. None of it. He turned around and smacked her right across the face and sent her tumbling to the floor.

"I will deal with you later!" he shouted. Vanessa looked up as he turned his attention back to Gia.

Her daughter had done well against the Robo-Knight, but she had been overpowered. It was only her quick thinking at the end, and her refusal to quit that gave her the edge she needed to beat Robo-Knight. Vanessa looked to her daughter on the floor, curled up in a ball, clutching her ribs with her bloodied hands. There was a long gash along the side of her head that was bleeding as well, and several bruises and cuts that, if they weren't looked after soon, were surely going to cause Gia trouble.

Vanessa watched as Vrak grabbed her daughter by the arm and forced her to stand on her feet. She watched him push her daughter back into the wall and then drive his fist into her stomach. She could hear how he screamed at her. She knew he was screaming threats. She knew he was threatening her daughter, but she couldn't make out his words. She didn't want to hear them. She didn't want to hear anyone threaten her daughter and she sure didn't want to hear her daughter's screams as someone hurt her.

"_Emma?"_ Vanessa called when she ran into to the hospital and saw the pink Ranger sitting in the waiting room, looking deeply upset. Vanessa and Joe had both left work when the hospital phoned to let them know their daughter had been admitted. They had no reason why, but had to assume if Gia had agreed to be taken to the hospital, if she even had a choice in the matter, it had to be bad. Vanessa quickly pulled the pink Ranger, her second daughter, into her arms to comfort her.

"_I'm sorry," _Emma whispered in her ear. Vanessa pulled away and looked down at her. Emma shook her head. _"I... I should have done something sooner. I wanted to but... But Gia... she made me promise and... I just... I didn't know what else to do."_

"_I'll go find her,"_ Joe told Vanessa and then ran up to the front desk. Vanessa sat down with Emma.

"_What's going on?"_

"_It was Cliff."_

"_Cliff..."_

"_He did this, Mrs. Moran,"_ Emma cried. She looked down at her hands, clenching them tight. _"He hit her. He's been hitting her. Beating her up. Putting her down. Forcing himself on her."_

Vanessa shook her head. That wasn't possible. Cliff and Gia had dated in Gia's freshman year. They broke up when Cliff left for college. Gia had been a mess after that, but as far as Vanessa had been concerned, it was just because of a broken heart.

"_Emma, sweetheart, those are some pretty... huge accusations..."_

"_They're all true!"_ Emma shouted. _"I've seen it! The bruises, the cuts. The way he treated her! She told me everything after he left!"_

Emma turned to Vanessa, completely heartbroken, _"Mrs. Moran, I'm so sorry I didn't say anything. Gia... she wasn't going to talk unless I promised not to tell anyone."_

"_Vanessa,"_ Joe called and waved her over. He was standing next to a nurse, who in turn was standing with a couple of police officers. Vanessa knew it wasn't too odd a sight for officers to be in the hospital, but after what Emma had told her, there was a sickening feeling in her stomach. She just knew something was seriously wrong.

"_We'll take care of this, Emma,"_ she promised the pink Ranger. She kissed Emma's forehead and then followed the police officers and the nurse to Gia's room.

"_She's asleep right now,"_ the nurse informed the parents and then continued to explain Gia's condition, but Vanessa didn't hear a word of it. Not a single one. Her mind was only focused on her daughter's broken and beaten form. Someone had hurt her, and if Emma's words were true, it had happened right under Vanessa's nose.

Vanessa had sworn to herself that day, it was never going to happen again. No one was ever going to lay their hands on her daughter. No one would ever hurt her little girl again. She didn't care who she had to stand up against. Cliff, a group of men just like him, or the other half of the alien brothers that threatened to take over the Earth. Her daughter needed her. Vanessa would do whatever it took to protect her.

She saw, across the room, was the broken shoulder armour with the sharp edge.

Vrak, meanwhile, wasn't about to let the destruction of his biggest project go. Gia tried to protect herself. She tried to hurt him, but with his new armour and skin, she couldn't do anything. She smacked him, pushed him, and even tried biting. Without any weapons, there was nothing she could do to get past his armour.

"You thought Robo-Knight was tough," he taunted her as he launched her across the room, right into his main computer. It would be easy enough to repair that later. Right now, all he wanted was the yellow Ranger out of his way. She cried out in pain as she hit the computer and then dropped to the ground. Blood was seeping from a cut on her back, and she clutched her shoulder tight. Vrak wouldn't let up there. He placed his foot on her stomach, then raised it and stomped down. Gia coughed and spit up blood, but she was still alive. She was very much alive. Vrak knelt down and ensured his knee pressed into her ribs so she struggled to breathe. "My armour is impenetrable, and without your powers, you're helpless. The poor little yellow Ranger who wanted to avenge her pathetic father is now laying on the floor of my lair, alone, powerless, and just seconds away from a painful death.

Vrak flicked his wrist and his weapon appeared. Sharp, long claws stuck out from his hand. He traced the points along Gia's cheek, cutting through her skin as a demonstration of what he was getting ready to do to her. When he was ready, he pulled his hand away. He wanted to pierce her heart so aimed for her chest. He knew she had a robotic heart. He knew it was stronger than a regular heart. But he had designed his new claws to be able to pierce through anything. He was confident they would get the job done.

He was wrong. Or at least, he was never proven right. Just before he could bring his hand down for the kill, he saw Robo-Knight's armour in front of his face and then everything faded to black. He was dead in a split second. His head rolled away from his body, which slumped over Gia.

Vanessa quickly lifted the body off her daughter and pushed it away. She felt nothing but relief to know that he was dead, and even a sense of pride that she had killed him. As soon as she knew it was his life or her daughter's, the decision was made. Vanessa grabbed the sharp armour and cut Vrak in the only place left completely exposed. She had built his body. She knew its weaknesses. Vrak's neck was completely biological and in his design, he hadn't thought to give himself a little protection. Arrogant like he was, he never would have assumed someone would be able to get so close to him.

"Gia," Vanessa whispered as she knelt beside her daughter. Gia was awake, but barely, and still bleeding heavily from her numerous injuries. Vanessa needed to get her to a doctor before she bled out.

But there was one problem. They were on the ocean floor, hundreds of feet below the surface. And Gia had no working morpher. They couldn't teleport to safety. They couldn't even step outside. They were trapped.

"Mom," Gia looked up. Vanessa smiled. She was worried, but she wouldn't let it show. "Is he... dead?"

"You did it," Vanessa nodded. "You were amazing. Your father would be so proud of you."

Gia smiled softly just before her eyes started to roll back. Vanessa's heart started racing. She needed a way up. She needed to get back to the surface to get Gia help. There had to be a quick way up. Vrak couldn't have possibly swum up every time he wanted to leave.

Vanessa jumped to her feet and rushed to the computer. Everything was written in a foreign language to her, but she likely wouldn't have understood a word of what the commands were in English anyway. She barely knew how to set the time on her microwave. So she pressed the first button she could.

"_Initiating self-destruct in T – 10 mins."_

"What? No... no..." as if she didn't have enough of a timeline. It wasn't as though she thought for a minute Gia had ten minutes left without a doctor, but she didn't need the added pressure of the whole lair blowing up. She didn't want to live without her daughter, but didn't want to blow up in her own underwater grave either.

"Shit, shit, shit," she muttered and pressed more buttons, hoping to stop the timer or figure something out. The computer was broken from when Vrak had launched Gia into it, so many of the buttons didn't work. Vanessa beat them again and again and prayed for a miracle. She prayed to the one person she always knew she could turn to when times were rough.

"Come on, Joe," she whispered as she took a step back. "I know you miss her. I know she misses you, but please get us out of here. Get her home. Give me a sign. Anything! Just..."

Finally, she saw it. One button had a label written in English. Harwood. The name of the city. The place she needed to be. Vanessa stumbled over herself as she ran to Gia.

"Thank you! Thank you!" she cried out. Carefully, she grabbed her daughter and pulled her closer to the computer. When Gia and the button were both in reach, Vanessa smacked her hand down on the button.

The machine was broken. It didn't teleport the Morans to Harwood but it did get them to the surface of the water. Vanessa gasped for breath but quickly realized her daughter wasn't by her side.

"Gia! Gia! Where are you?"

"Mrs. Moran," she heard someone call and turned around. She saw Orion swimming towards her. He wrapped his arm around her. "Let's get you back to shore."

"No, Gia! Orion, you need to find Gia!"

"She's fine. Well, she will be," Orion said. He pointed towards the shore. Vanessa looked and saw someone floating in the water. Almost right away, she recognized Gia, but then she saw she was being pulled.

"T... Tiger?"

"That cat worries about Gia as much as Gia worries about you," Orion chuckled. "Speaking of, there's little point saving her life if you don't make it to shore. Are you okay to swim back?"

Vanessa nodded her head but Orion still stuck close to her as they started heading back to shore.


	46. After Vrak

The first thing to hit Gia as she started to wake up was a rough, wet, sloppy tongue.

"Tiger, off!" a familiar voice scolded and a weight was lifted from her chest. Only it jumped right back on. "Tiger! You're getting fat! Get off!"

The weight left again, but then Gia heard and felt something blowing in her ear.

"Tiger! Give her some room!"

"Sweetheart," another voice called to her.

"Gia? You there?" a third voice asked.

Suddenly, the tongue was back. It slobbered all over her face. Whether or not she was ready, her eyes opened. Then shut. The light was bright.

"Don't make me put the collar on you," Gia heard someone say to the tiger. She opened her eyes again, squinting in order to get a look around. Right away she recognized her bedroom; her old bedroom. From her house.

"Try not to move too much. Tensou's fixed everything but you're still going to need some rest," her mother's voice told her. Gia opened her eyes a little more and turned to where the voice was coming from. She saw her mother's face and right away noticed the scars were healing.

"Did we win?"

"Vrak and Vekar are gone," Vanessa smiled. "For good. But there's something else coming."

"Imperial Guards have been turning up in the city," Jake informed her. "They're everywhere, but they aren't attacking anyone anymore. They think we're dead."

"What?" Gia asked. Vanessa chuckled.

"We'll explain more when you're feeling a bit better. Speaking of..."

"Not good," Gia muttered. "Are you sure Vrak's gone. It really feels like I'm the one who died."

"You almost did," Emma whispered. "We got to the beach just when Tiger pulled you out of the water. Tensou started surgery then and there, and worked nearly two days getting you back in shape."

"Fortunately, enough of the laser was salvaged for one last repair," Jake said. "Noah got it up and running again once Tensou was done. We know we're supposed to wait for your body to get the ground work done with healing, but with something else coming down, we couldn't risk it."

"Well, technically, we did risk it," Emma chuckled. "By the way, if you're feeling nauseous or if you're in pain or if your hair starts falling out, let Tensou know."

"You mean more so than I already am?" Gia asked, then frowned, "Wait, if my hair starts falling out?"

"I'll still love you bald," Emma shrugged. "Better bald and alive than have a have a head full of hair while we lower you into the ground."

"I'll have to get used to the bald look," Jake admitted. "Though, I've got to say, where Tensou did have to cut your hair... you can barely notice."

"What?" Gia asked and tried to sit up. Vanessa pushed her down.

"You had some cuts he wanted a look at," she reassured her daughter. "He cut off as little as possible and the rest of your hair covers it. You don't even notice."

"It'll grow back," Emma shrugged. Gia turned to her.

"Says the one afraid of haircuts."

"I had a traumatizing experience," Emma huffed. Gia gestured to her body.

"Really?"

"Come on you two," Vanessa chuckled as she grabbed Jake and Emma by the arm, "Why don't we let Gia rest a little more?"

Vanessa ushered the teens and Tiger out of the room, but just before she was about to step out herself, she heard Gia's voice call her back in. She closed the door and turned to the bed. Gia was trying to sit up.

"Sweetheart, don't push yourself," Vanessa hurried back over to help her daughter sit up comfortably. She propped the pillows behind Gia's back and lay her down gently. "You good?"

"Is Vrak really gone?"

"For good," Vanessa confirmed and nodded her head. "You did it, Gia. You won. You beat him!"

Gia forced a smile, but not for long before her eyes started to water. Vanessa sat down beside her and pulled her into her arms.

"Gia? It's good news. He's gone. He can't hurt us anymore. He can't come after you or..."

"I miss dad," Gia muttered. Vanessa looked down at her daughter. Tears welled up in her own eyes. She nodded her head.

"Me too."

"Am I crazy?" Gia asked. "A part of me thought... he'd come back. You beat the monster, and everything he's done is undone. His spells are broken, everything goes back to normal."

"It... it doesn't work that way, sweetheart," Vanessa shook her head. "Not this time. Not for us."

Gia sighed loudly. She looked down at her hands. Vanessa lightly kissed her forehead.

"If he were here, though, he'd be telling you how proud he was."

"But you beat Vrak..."

"For you," Vanessa said. "I did it for you."

"Vrak could have..."

"I got lucky. I got an opportunity," Vanessa smiled. "You made it all happen. You, Gia, you're the one who stopped Vrak. And you're the last face he saw before he died. He knows you've won."

Gia nodded her head. Vanessa kissed her cheek and then pulled Kitten out from under the blankets.

"Get some rest. We'll be right downstairs if you need anything."

Gia smiled, lay down in her bed with Kitten in her arms and closed her eyes to sleep. Vanessa quietly walked out of the room and made it downstairs just as the doorbell rang. Curious about who could be visiting, she checked through the window first to see who it was. She was surprised when she saw Jordan standing there. She opened the door and stepped outside before she let him in.

"Jordan, you..."

"You're here too," Jordan said. Vanessa shook her head.

"Vrak kidnapped me. And with what's coming, I want to be near my daughter."

"Is that why Claire's car is in the driveway too?"

"Claire's been worried sick about me. She came down so that, once Gia was feeling better, she could drive me home."

"But you're not going home, are you?" Jordan asked. Vanessa glared at him.

"What do you want, Jordan?"

"Dr. Oliver's taken off. He says he's got an idea. I can't stay with him and I can't stay somewhere by myself."

"So go home. Your parents live far enough away..."

"Mrs. Moran, you know exactly why I chose to come here," Jordan said. "Those freaky guards are all over the city. This war's just getting started. Someone's going out with a bang and I want to be here with her one last time just in case."

Jordan gestured to the flowers and the chocolates in his hands, "Please, let me in."

"Emma doesn't like flowers."

"These are for Gia," Jordan chuckled. Vanessa gave him a look. Jordan shrugged, "What? I lived with Dr. Oliver. You think I don't know what just happened? You know, despite how it may seem, Gia and I actually do like each other."

Vanessa sighed and opened the door. Jordan stepped inside with a smirk and called out his own arrival. He heard a plate crash in the kitchen and smiled. Emma stepped out into the hallway with a mix of joy and anger on her face. Jordan knew which to address first.

"I know things are heating up," he said. "I know I'm putting myself in danger. I know I'm being selfish. But if anything happened to you and I wasn't here, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

He extended his hand, "Chocolate?"

Emma smiled, accepted the box and then pulled her fiancé in for a kiss. While she wasn't happy he had put himself in danger, she was glad she got this last chance to see him. A part of her had been hoping that Jordan would be able to sense the end was near and he would stop by.

But when she pulled away, she frowned. She pointed to the bouquet. "I thought you knew me better than that."

"I do. Chocolate," Jordan chuckled and pointed to her box. "These are for Gia. Dr. Oliver keeps tabs on you guys and the Armada. We both know Vrak's gone. We know Gia beat him. It's been her goal forever so I thought I'd celebrate. Speaking, of, I haven't been insulted yet. Where is she?"

"Upstairs."

"Sleeping," Vanessa added. Jordan smirked.

"Perfect," he kissed Emma's cheek and then climbed the stairs. He knocked lightly on Gia's bedroom door, just so she couldn't yell at him for not having done so, and then he crept inside. His plan was to wake her up annoyingly, but as soon as he saw her state, he stopped. He knew she had beaten Vrak. He had assumed she would have some battle scars. Rangers never came home unscathed. But he hadn't expected this. He approached the bed slowly and put his hand on her shoulder. Gia's eyes shot open, she sat up in bed and gasped loudly. Jordan dropped the flowers and pulled back.

"Just me! It's just me!"

"Jordan?" Gia turned and rolled her eyes. "Great. Nightmare come true."

"Glad to see you too," Jordan chuckled. He helped her get comfortable and then smirked. "So, how's the other guy looking?"

"Dead," Gia answered. She turned to Jordan with a curious look, "Wait, did you just get here?"

"Yep."

"Why aren't you with Emma?"

"We'll have our reunion later," Jordan smirked and winked at Gia. She stuck out her tongue.

"Come on! Seriously? Way to kick me when I'm down."

"Maybe these will help?" Jordan said as he picked up the flowers and offered them to her. "I know beating Vrak was a big deal to you. So happy killing psychotic father murdering alien day."

Gia took the flowers gratefully, but looked down at them sadly. Jordan smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I know. I'm sorry it doesn't bring your dad back. But it's got to mean something that your mother's safe now. As long as you don't personally piss off the next alien to step foot on this planet."

"I make a habit of that, don't I?"

"Vrak and Vekar had it out for you. You even pissed Orion off," Jordan chuckled. "Let's end that streak at three, alright?"

"Promise," Gia nodded. "Thanks for coming, butt-head."

"Anytime," Jordan smiled. He pointed to the door, "I'm going to go have a proper reunion with my fiancée now."

Gia stuck out her tongue. Jordan chuckled, winked, and then headed out of the room before she could find something to throw at him.


	47. To Have A Real Home

The Morans didn't have too many rooms in their house so the Rangers were, once again, going to have to share. Vanessa and Claire were going to keep their master bedroom. It was the closest room to Gia, in case she needed anything overnight, and it was Vanessa's house.

Gia, Jake, Jordan and Emma were sharing Gia's bedroom. Jordan whined a little in protest when that had been announced, but it had to happen. Noah and Orion were sharing Emma's old bedroom while Troy took Claire's bedroom with Ryan.

Vanessa, luckily, didn't like throwing anything away from when Gia and Emma were kids and so had a crib handy for Ryan up in the attic. With help from the boys, she brought it all the way down to Claire's old bedroom and Troy was just getting it set up for his little sister. It was almost time for bed and he knew he had to make her new home comfortable if she was going to let him get an ounce of sleep.

Fortunately, when Rebecca had been ejected from the Megazord, she hadn't failed to grab Ryan's diaper bag and her favourite toy LT. Troy set up the crib so it was comfortable and then placed LT inside. Ryan looked in, her eyes focused on her toy.

"Tiger?" she looked up at her brother. He smiled and picked her up.

"LT thinks the new house is comfortable," he assured her. "I know it's scary being somewhere new, but we're going to be okay."

He walked over to the bed and sat down with Ryan. He reached into the diaper bag to pull out her pyjamas. Ryan fussed. She knew her pyjamas meant bedtime so she started to kick and cry. This wasn't unusual, but tonight, it was harder than ever for him to listen to. He looked down at the little girl, and for the first time in a long time, it really struck him that she was without her parents.

Earlier that day, he had beaten Vekar. He had rid the planet, and the entire universe, of the Prince of the Armada. He had killed Vekar in his parents' honour, and in his sisters' honour.

Troy had never had the happiest life. His father had abandoned him and his mother when he had been just a little boy. It had been hard on his mother, and heartbreaking for Troy who for years believed he hadn't been good enough for his father.

His mother, now raising a young boy all on her own, had to work twice as hard and her company offered her positions in various cities. Every year, and sometimes even every few months, Troy would have to pack up and move somewhere new. That made it difficult to make new friends, and even harder to keep people close. After a few schools, Troy gave up on even trying to befriend people. And because he wasn't their friend, they felt they had the right to pick on and tease him.

His mother did remarry. She fell in love again with Christopher Burrows. Troy was reluctant at first to have a new dad, but Mr. Burrows never pushed and was always supportive. Troy was enrolled in martial arts classes from a young age, and Mr. Burrows, even before getting engaged to his mother, would attend all his competitions and cheer him on. For Troy, it felt good finally having someone aside from him mother in his corner and eventually he accepted Mr. Burrows as a step-father, and then as his real father.

But they still had to move. Mrs. Burrows' job wouldn't keep her in the same city for long until they finally let her settle in Harwood County. That was when Troy's life started looking up somewhat. Of course, with all the drama of being a Ranger, he still had to face challenges, but he made friends, got settled into a real home and actually felt like he belonged somewhere.

When Ryan was born, he made his sister a promise. He had faced so much adversity in his life, and it left him feeling miserable for most of it. He didn't want her to feel that way. He didn't want her to feel like she wasn't good enough, or strong enough, or smart enough, or nice enough. He didn't want her to feel alone or scared. He didn't want her to feel like her life was constantly in danger. So he had promised her he would take care of her. He promised he would never let anything bad happen to her.

And then Vekar showed up with his Armada and his plans to take over the world. It was nothing new at that point for Troy, but what made Vekar different was that one of his first plans was to go after the Rangers' families. Troy's specifically. Troy had to watch helplessly as Vekar launched a missile straight for his home, blowing it to pieces and killing all but one resident inside.

By some miracle, Ryan had survived. She still had some light scars from that fateful day, but she had been found alive and healthy. However, her parents, Troy's parents, didn't escape at all. Their father was found already dead. Their mother died in Gia's arms. Vekar had ripped away the two people Ryan needed most in her life.

It was Troy's biggest failure to date. And now that Vekar was gone, it really sunk in just how much he and Ryan had both lost that day. Their parents weren't coming back. They were forever going to be on their own. Ryan would forever be at a disadvantage because instead of having two amazing and experienced parents to take care of her and raise her up, she had a brother and a sister who still had a lot of growing up to do themselves.

As Troy slipped Ryan into her pyjamas, she let out a sob of discontent. He held her in his arms and sighed loudly.

"I know, Ry. But we're going to be okay. We're safe here."

He rocked his sister gently and walked her over to the crib. He laid her down, but Ryan wouldn't stay. She got up as soon as he let her go. Troy picked up LT.

"He's right here, Ry. It's night time," Troy lay her down again. Ryan stood up and threw LT over the side of the crib.

"I hated moving too," he told her. "But one day, we'll find a place. You me, maybe even Becca. We'll settle down. We'll make a home. But right now, we've just got to make do."

Ryan huffed and screamed loudly. Troy picked her up and rocked her in his arms. Ryan cried again. Troy picked up LT.

"Kids sense when you're distressed," Claire said as she stepped into the room. She had a few blankets in her arms. Troy assumed she was doing a quick bedroom check to make sure everyone had what they needed. Troy sighed.

"Sorry. I'll get her to settle down..."

"Do you mind?" Claire asked him as she set the blankets down. Troy shrugged. He was willing to do anything to calm his sister. When Claire was ready, he passed the baby off. Ryan wasn't settled at first in Claire's arms, but the pink Ranger's mother started to sing softly. She rocked Ryan back and forth and made sure to keep LT close as well. Troy watched, impressed.

"You're a pretty good mother," he said. Claire sighed and nodded her head.

"Too little too late," she agreed. She turned to Troy, "It's my biggest regret in life."

As Ryan started to drift off to sleep, Claire placed her down in her crib and tucked her in. She then looked up at Troy, "I'm waiting for grandkids now. Not that I'm trying to rush Emma, but I screwed up so badly with her, I'm hoping to be a better grandmother."

"You've been amazing with Emma so far," Troy said. He sighed and looked down at Ryan, "At least you're around for her now. You get this chance."

Claire put her hand on Troy's shoulder, "Is this about your parents?"

"Ryan had nothing to do with this war," Troy nodded. "My parents were innocent. She's just a baby. I'm eighteen now, Rebecca's just got another year, and we've been on our own for so long already, we'll figure ourselves out."

"You've got each other."

"I wanted more for Ryan," Troy sighed. "I wanted her to be normal. To fit in. To feel... strong. Mom and dad would have been amazing parents to her, and she deserves that. How's it fair that now, she's got nothing? Vekar may be gone, but so are our parents."

Troy groaned and rubbed his face with his hands in frustration, "Now this war stuff is all escalating. We're going to face someone bigger and stronger. I've seen this coming. For years now, I've had these dreams of the big war. We're not... the odds are against us."

"Hey, you've come this far. You'll figure something out. And you're not alone."

"That scares me," Troy admitted. He sat down on the bed and then glanced over to the crib. "I'm more afraid of coming home than dying on the battle field. Does that make sense?"

Claire looked to Ryan and then shook her head. She sat down next to Troy.

"I wasn't the greatest mother," she started with her usual disclaimer, "But I did try. You know, my first memory of being a mom was being scared shitless?"

"What do you mean?"

"The nurse just handed me a baby! A tiny, fragile, helpless little baby! And you know what she said?"

"It's a girl?"

"Well, yes," Claire chuckled. "But... she said congratulations. Congratulations, can you believe it? I've got this tiny helpless human in my hands, depending on me, and all the nurse can do is congratulate me? What for? I hadn't killed her yet? That's setting the threshold pretty low. And if I'm being congratulated for not killing my child, how badly did they think I was going to screw this up?"

"I think you're overthinking it," Troy said.

"Babies are a huge responsibility. You have every right to be scared. But you've got to do what's right for that little girl. You're all she's got. Don't make the same mistake I did."

"I won't," Troy shook his head and then turned to Claire with teary eyes, "Mrs. Goodall... do you want your second chance?"

"What?"

"At being a mom? A really good one."

"Troy, what are you..."

"I want good parents for Ryan. I want something stable for her. Mrs. Goodall, I'm still just a kid. After this war's over, if I do come home, I've got nothing to offer her. Her best chance is with you and Mrs. Moran... if you'll take her."

"What?"

"I'll need a few years to get my life figured out. I'll need a job for steady income, and before I get that, I'll need to go to college. I'll need a house, or at least an apartment and I'll have to be able to afford enough food to keep her belly full. And I'll need time. Lots of time so she knows I'm there. So she knows I love her. She's only going to suffer until I can give her all of that."

"You want me to take Ryan?"

"You and Mrs. Moran. Just until I can get settled. Or until Rebecca can get settled. Please, Mrs. Goodall. I'm... I'm begging you. Once I get a job, I'll send you money for food or toys or whatever. I'll visit. I'll babysit as often as I can. I'll still be part of her life but she needs... she needs parents. Real parents. And I can't... I can't be that yet."

"Let me talk to Vanessa," Claire said. She hugged Troy tightly for a moment before she got up and left the room. Troy walked over to the crib and looked down at his sleeping sister.

"I love you," he whispered to her. "I will always love you."


	48. The Invaded City

After a couple of days rest in her own bed, Gia was feeling a lot stronger. Tensou's laser had a few side effects from being used before her body had started its own recovery. Her second day, she had been sick as a dog and she had a tough time sleeping due to being able to actually feel her muscles, bones, and tissues repairing. However, she was feeling much better now.

So that morning, she crawled out of bed herself to use the washroom. She did her business without waking anyone up and then walked back to her bedroom. She had been mostly confined to her bed since she had been brought home, but she had heard from her friends what had happened to the city after Vrak and Vekar were gone.

More Imperial Guards were moving into the city and they were spreading far and wide. Some had even taken over shops and they had already invaded the police station. They had become the new law and no one had the power to stop them.

Not even the Rangers. At this time, four of them had some power. Their old morphers were fully functional, but the Rangers had left them behind when the Armada turned up for a reason. They were nowhere near as powerful at the Ranger keys. They were no longer enough to offer the Rangers the kind of protection they were going to need against the new forces.

So, for the meantime, until they could come up with something else, the Rangers let the city believe they were dead. It was rumoured that the Rangers had sacrificed themselves and their powers to take our Vekar and that there was now no one left to protect them against the real threat. The Rangers were going to prove the city and the invading forces wrong, they just needed more time to figure out how.

But Gia was curious as to what was really going on out in the city. Her friends kept her away from the news, insisting she just needed to focus on recovering. Now that she was feeling better, stronger, she felt she deserved to know. As far as she was concerned, Troy hadn't taken back the title of Captain, so she needed to be up to speed.

She pulled her curtain back and peeked out her window. She wished she hadn't. Imperial Guards were standing in pairs at the end of every driveway, including her own. They were keeping watch on everyone in the city. Gia noticed one man in a suit try to head out to work, only to be stopped and questioned by the Imperial Guards, and then sent back inside him home forcefully.

"Gia..." the curtain was pulled out from her hand and shut. Gia turned to Jake and sighed.

"It's getting bad out there."

"Worse and worse by the day," Jake nodded. "Tensou's still out in the wreckage working on something. I'm not sure what he's up to, but even if he gets it done, there's no way he can get to us now."

"Teleport..."

"It's all down," Jake shook his head. "When the Sky Ship crashed, we lost everything but our Megaforce Morphers. Speaking of..."

"I'm sorry I tossed mine in the ocean," Gia sighed. "But how was I to know we still had a year left?"

"No one could have predicted that, I guess," Jake shrugged his shoulders. He peeked out the window once more but still didn't like what he saw. "We have to figure this out. What are we going to do? What about your parents?"

"Your parents," Gia said. Jake gave her a little smile.

"Noah and I called our parents. Dr. Oliver sent them to live with a friend in Angle Grove and last we heard the Imperial Guards haven't reached that far out yet. They're safe. It's your parents I'm worried about. This final battle is going to happen in the city, and with the guards all around, we can't sneak your parents out."

"Jake, that's not fair," Gia's eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head. "I beat Vrak and Vekar's gone! This is supposed to be the end of my mom being in danger! It's not fair!"

"Shh, I know it's not," Jake whispered as he pulled Gia into her arms. "We don't want to see anything happen to them. That's why we're waiting on a plan. We're going to figure out what to do next, and until we know for sure, we won't draw any attention to ourselves. Right now, we, and you especially, are just normal, everyday people."

"Why me especially?"

"Because I have this," Jake said and showed her his morpher. "And it works."

"Orion doesn't have one."

"He's also convinced us he's got nothing to lose," Jake said. "He's already lost one family and one home to the Armada. He's not going to stand by and risk losing us to. But you..."

"Jake, I don't want to lose you," Gia begged him as she took his hands and looked him straight in the eyes. "I can't just watch you and Emma run off into battle..."

"You might have to," Jake said. "If we can't get your morpher working, or we can't find a way to get you powered up again, it's too dangerous for you out there. Orion's taking his risk, and even he's resigned himself to the fact that he's likely going to die in this war. Gia, your mother, Claire, Rebecca, Ryan, Tiger, even Jordan; they need you alive. They need you to be safe."

"Jordan...?"

"If anything happens to Emma, you two have to stay together. If anything happens to me, he's promised to take care of you," Jake said.

"I need to be out there, Jake. I need to fight with you. With my team..."

"We're trying everything we can. But if they force our hand and you don't have any powers, you're better off helping our families."

"Jake..."

"I'm only doing this because I love you," he whispered as he cupped her face gently in his hands. "We're giving you your best shot at making it out alive. At being reunited with us. No one plans on dying. Orion's pretty confident he will, but we're going to do everything in our power to make sure he comes home with the rest of us. And it would really mean everything to me if you were there too."

"Don't you dare die on me, then," Gia whispered and wrapped her arms tightly around Jake. He nodded as he held her.

"I promise we'll do everything."

He kissed the side of her head and then noticed Emma watching him from her air mattress. He gave her a look that said he wanted to talk with her and Emma nod to confirm. Jake then pulled away from Gia.

"You hungry?"

"I'll make breakfast," she offered. Jake knew she would. Since she had woken up, she had been complaining that the others were babying her. Now that she could walk around on her own, she was likely going to insist she take care of herself and her friends. As soon as Gia left the room, Emma sat up.

"Are you going to propose?"

"Propose?" Jordan sat up as well. "Whoa, whoa, Jakey's getting married?"

"You're up too?" Jake frowned deeply at Jordan.

"I've been up all night. Emma's an air mattress hog."

"I am not," Emma grumbled. Jordan gestured to the space she was taking on the mattress. Emma scooted over nervously. "I mean..."

"So, what's this about a proposal?" Jordan asked. Jake shook his head.

"You can't say a word," Jake told him. Jordan agreed. "I'm planning on proposing to her soon. Before this escalates again. Before I almost lose her again."

"Well, knowing how reckless Gia is, you plan on doing it today?" Jordan asked. Emma nudged him hard in the ribs and expected to hear a comment from Jake about how much Gia had improved since Jordan left. Instead, she saw the green Ranger shrug.

"Well... yeah."

"Wait, seriously?" Emma frowned. "Jake, you've hardly got enough for a ring! And the Butterfly Conservatory is probably closed because of the invasion..."

"I can sneak around."

"The Butterfly... seriously?" Jordan asked. "For Gia? The Queen of mean?"

"She loves it there," Jake nodded. "It can't be that hard for just the two of us to sneak around."

"You're not sneaking out," Emma shook her head. "No way, no how. If you are going to propose to Gia, you're doing it here."

"But... my plan," Jake frowned. "My yellow roses, the butterflies... And if I don't have a ring, everything else has to be..."

"Leave the butterflies up to me," Emma smiled.

"And I can help with the ring," Jordan offered. Jake sighed loudly.

"Thanks, dude, but I don't have nearly enough."

Jordan reached to his bag and pulled out his wallet. He tossed it to Jake.

"Is that enough?"

"Jordan, I..."

"Dr. Oliver paid for everything when I lived with him and still gave me a little allowance for helping him around the house. My parents have been sending me some money every week for groceries and stuff. You know, because they don't know I'm wrapped up in this Ranger stuff. I've been saving up for something romantic for Emma..."

"What?"

"But I can be romantic without cash, and Emma loves it when I take care of Gia, so it's all yours, dude."

Jake opened Jordan's wallet and saw it was packed with money. It wasn't enough to be able to afford much in the ways of an engagement ring, but there was enough to be able to buy Gia something special, with maybe a little left over to pick up the yellow roses. Jake looked over to Jordan and shook his head.

"I'll pay you back every penny..."

"You don't have to," Jordan shook his head. "You've got to know that, by now, I kind of really like that annoying little tiger."

"But Jordan..."

"Honest. I don't need it, and I'll romance Emma the free way. Whatever that is," Jordan said. "Seriously, just take the cash, alright."

"Fine, but let me at least go help Gia make breakfast so you can get some time alone," Jake said with a wink and a smirk. Jordan smiled back. Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you seriously using me to pay Jordan back with... sex?"

"You can do whatever you want with him," Jake shrugged and smirked. "I'm just leaving the room. Whatever you two do is up to you. Just make sure this man leaves happy."

Jake gave Jordan a few quick pats on the back and a thank you. Then he looked at Jordan, "By the way, she also contributed a lot to the Get-Gia-An-Engagement-Ring-Fund. So make her happy too, deal?"

"No problem, Jordan smirked. Jake walked out of the room and Jordan moved in closer to his fiancée. Emma frowned.

"You realize you just gave Jake cash to sleep with me, right?"

"I gave Jake cash for a ring," Jordan smirked. "But are you really complaining?"

Emma sighed, shrugged her shoulders and then shook her head. She pulled Jordan in for a kiss.

"I missed you."


	49. Best For Child

"I thought I'd find you out here," Noah chuckled as he stepped out on the back patio with some tea. He offered it to Rebecca, who refused it with a huff. She had been in a mood since Troy had told her he had given up Ryan to Vanessa and Claire. Rebecca hadn't been happy with the decision, especially because it had been made without her, and had been furious with everyone since.

"I'm not talking," Rebecca muttered and turned away from him. Noah sat down next to her on the bench.

"It's pretty quiet out here," he commented. "For the middle of the day. I guess the Imperial Guards are keeping everyone inside."

Rebecca huffed again. Noah chuckled, "Rebecca, you've got nothing to be angry at me for."

"Should Troy have given up Ryan?"

"Yes," Noah nodded his head. Rebecca gasped and punched him in the arm. Noah groaned. "Hey, I'm just being honest."

"I love that kid!" Rebecca said tearfully. "I'd do anything for her, Noah! If Troy didn't want to keep her..."

"Rebecca..."

"I don't care if it's hard. I don't care if she takes everything I've got and more..."

"Rebecca, you of all people should understand what Troy's going through," Noah said as he put his arm around her. "A year and a half ago, you gave away Jesse."

"Oh god," Rebecca leaned forward and buried her face in her hands as she started to cry louder. Noah pulled her in a little closer.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he said. "But you gave up Jesse for his own good. He's got amazing parents who'll raise him right. They'll give him more than you ever could."

"Noah, stop..."

"Troy's only doing the same with Ryan. You heard what he said. This is only temporary. Once you're on your feet after the war, you'll get Ryan back. And she'll be with Mrs. Moran and Mrs. Goodall. She won't be far. You can visit every day..."

"He didn't even ask me," Rebecca whispered.

"He's trying to do what's best," Noah assured her. "I love Ryan to bits too, but you've got to admit, keeping her wasn't the best thing. She deserves a home. A family. You said so yourself the other day, you're not really her..."

"I am her sister," Rebecca growled. "It's not blood, but that little girl means everything to me! I could have taken great care of her!"

"I believe you. I believe that," Noah nodded. "But... think of why you gave up Jesse, Rebecca. Think of all the reasons you believed you weren't good enough to be his mother. Ryan's only a few weeks older. Does that make a difference?"

"Jesse was my biggest failure," Rebecca sobbed. "I thought... with Ryan... I hoped maybe..."

"If you want to do what's right by Ryan, you'll do exactly what you did with Jesse," Noah smiled at her and gently stroked her cheek. "You'll put her well-being first. You may see giving up Jesse as your biggest failure, but I see a mother and an amazing woman who'll do anything it takes to look after her child. It's the kind of mother I'd want for my children."

"You... your... kids?"

"Uh, hypothetically," Noah stammered. "Um, you know, when it happens, one day."

"I guess... I'll get Ryan back someday," Rebecca sighed. "And getting my life sorted will be easier without a hungry mouth eating all my paychecks."

"And I'm sure you'll always be allowed to visit," Noah said. "Besides, don't you trust Mrs. Moran and Mrs. Goodall with children?"

"Mrs. Moran more so," Rebecca shrugged. "Only because she's got the experience, you know."

"Yeah, but Mrs. Goodall lives with guilt. She'll probably work twice as hard to do well by Ryan."

"Hey, I have a question," Rebecca said. "If... If Gia and Emma's moms are raising my sister. Does that make Gia and Emma my sister too?"

"Well, technically, Mrs. Moran and Mrs. Goodall would be Ryan's foster parents. Gia and Emma would be her foster sisters. You're not in foster care so..."

Noah noticed the glare Rebecca was pointing his way. He nodded and chuckled, "Whatever. You're all sisters."

"Yes!" Rebecca cried threw her arms around Noah. "Gia Moran isn't just my best friend anymore! She's my sister!"

"What's with your obsession with Gia?" Noah asked with a bit of a laugh. "You're almost as bad as Jake once was."

"She's Gia Moran, Noah. When I first started at Harwood County High, Gia Moran was _the_ Gia Moran."

"She was always _the_ Gia Moran. There was never any other..."

"Popular girl? Everyone wanted to date her or be her."

"Not by the time you came around," Noah shook his head. "Cliff was big news by then."

"And she shut down. Only her close friends could get close to her. Noah, I want what other people can't get. Not everyone gets to be related to a Ranger. Not everyone gets to date a Ranger. Not everyone gets to collect every single Ranger action figure, some which have been owned by the actual Rangers. Not everyone gets to be close to _the _Gia Moran."

"Whatever makes you happy," Noah shrugged.


	50. The Big Proposal

"I've just got to get..."

"You can borrow my sweater," Jordan pulled his sweater off his back and offered it to Gia in a desperate attempt to keep her out of her room. Jake had snuck out earlier that day to try and get a ring and a bouquet of flowers for Gia. With all the uncertainty surrounding what would happen to the Rangers next, Jake wanted to make sure he got the chance to ask Gia to marry him. Before anything happened to either of them, he wanted her to know exactly what she meant to him.

Emma had taken on the responsibility of setting up Gia's bedroom. Jake could no longer go through with his plan of taking Gia out on a date to the Butterfly Conservatory, so Emma would make sure there was a perfect substitute.

And while that was all taking place, it was up to Jordan to keep Gia as far away from her bedroom as possible.

"I don't need a sweater," Gia shook her head and gestured to her jacket as she gave Jordan a strange look. "I left my meds..."

"Are you sore? I'll give you a massage. Downstairs..."

"No, ew," Gia frowned. "I'll just take my meds and..."

"No!" Jordan darted in front of her and blocked her access to the door. Then he spoke, louder than usual, "You want your medication, Gia?"

"Yes. Antibiotics," Gia nodded and gave Jordan a strange look. "Maybe, next time Tensou comes around, he should give you some loony pills."

"Antibiotics," Emma opened the door just a crack and offered Gia her bottle. Gia took it and frowned deeply.

"Emma?"

"I'm just taking a nap," Emma said. "Jordan... hogged the bed last night."

"What?" Jordan spun around and crossed his arms. "I... You're the bed hog!"

"You guys are weird," Gia sighed and then tried to get inside her room again. Emma gasped and slammed the door. Jordan leaned against the frame to block her way. Gia rolled her eyes. "What the hell? Now what?"

"Shh, Emma's napping," Jordan whispered.

"She was just here. Emma, can I come in, please! I... I kind of want Kitten..."

Jordan started to laugh. Gia swat him in the chest just as the door opened again. Emma held out Kitten. Gia took her toy gratefully and then frowned.

"Why is she covered in glitter?"

"I don't know," Emma answered and then slammed the door again. Jordan, still between Gia and the door, shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, I don't know what she gets up to in there alone. You got everything, though? Can we let Emma nap in peace now?"

"I just need..."

"What now?" Jordan groaned.

"This," Gia smirked and punched him in the arm. Jordan sighed with relief as she walked away from her bedroom. He followed her down the stairs and that was when he noticed Jake sneaking in the back door. With the Imperial Guards keeping an eye on the streets, the back door was the Ranger's only way in and out of the house. His eyes widened. Gia didn't know Jake had left the house and couldn't catch him sneaking in, especially with flowers in hand.

"Wait! Gia," he called and raced her down the stairs. She placed her hands on her hips and sighed.

"Have you always been this loony and I'm just not used to it anymore?"

Jordan shrugged his shoulders. Gia was blocking the opening to the stairs, so Jake had to climb up and over the railing to sneak past her.

"Probably," Jordan nodded. "Although, living with Dr. Oliver, you do kind of end up getting a little wacky in the head. Did you know that guy lives, eats, and breathes all things Power Rangers? It's almost to the point of insanity."

"It's saved my life," Gia shrugged. Jordan caught Jake sneaking into Gia's bedroom, where he would help Emma finish setting up the room. With the coast finally clear, Jordan stepped out of Gia's way and let her go. She walked towards the living room but stopped after a few steps.

"Hey, anyone know where Jake's been lately?"

Jordan shrugged his shoulders, "Nope. You sure you haven't seen him?"

"Positive," Gia nodded. She turned around and started to walk to the kitchen. She figured if Jake was hiding out anywhere, it would be where the food was. Instead, she found her mother, looking up nervously from what appeared to be her baking bowl. Gia frowned. "You're baking now?"

"Sweets don't have calories when it's possibly the end of the world," Vanessa nodded her head. She poured the batter into a cake pan and set it in the oven. She then offered Gia the bowl to lick.

"One cake? Mom, there's eleven of us, and Jake and Orion eat like it's their first meal in months."

"Hey, you guys are probably only days from saving the world. And spandex can only do so much for you."

"As long as I get a piece, I guess," Gia smirked and started to lick the bowl. Vanessa smiled happily as she watched her daughter. Jordan, meanwhile, was just happy Gia looked like she was going to be spending the rest of her time in the kitchen. But just in case, he signaled to Vanessa to keep Gia busy before he snuck his way up into her room. As soon as he opened the door he was assaulted by a butterfly.

"AH!" he grabbed the overgrown bug and threw it to the floor. Emma huffed loudly.

"Jordan!"

"Told you it was too close to the door," Jake chuckled. Emma picked up the butterfly cut out and walked it over to Gia's desk. Jordan, meanwhile, took a moment to have a look around the room. He had no idea how Emma had done it so quickly, but she had turned Gia's bedroom into a smaller version of the Butterfly Conservatory using nothing but items she had collected that morning from around the house.

"This is pretty freaking neat," he smiled. "These look like real butterflies."

"Thanks. Joe taught me how to make those," Emma said with a little grin. "I guess that makes them all the more special. You know, he used to help Gia and I do crafts and stuff on rainy days. He always knew how to keep us busy."

"He would have been perfect today, then," Jordan muttered. "She's not easy to distract. I thought for sure she had us with the antibiotics."

"Fortunately, it doesn't take much for her to believe you're a nutcase," Emma chuckled.

"Fortunately, she'll believe it," Jake said. "Where's Gia now?"

"Kitchen."

"Kit... I asked Vanessa to make us a cake! To celebrate!"

"I'm sure she'll find something to tell Gia."

"But the cake's supposed to have a little heart with our initials," Jake frowned. "If Gia sees..."

"Mrs. Moran _just_ put it in the oven," Jordan chuckled.

"Yeah. It'll have to bake and then cool before she ices it," Emma added. "And we're almost done in here. You'll have proposed to Gia before the cake's even done."

"Seriously?" Jake asked and then started to scratch the back of his neck nervously. "I mean... isn't there something else we've got to do first? Like... oh! This flower is..."

"Don't touch that!" Emma shouted and slapped his hand away. Jake frowned.

"The colour's off..."

"That's the flower Joe made when he taught me to make paper flowers," Emma explained. "Gia spilled her water on it and was upset because it wasn't perfect. Joe told her imperfection was perfect and he loved it more because now it had her special touch."

"You remember all that?"

"I really admired how Joe was with Gia," Emma nodded her head. "I was always a little jealous. It's easy to see why she was daddy's little girl."

Jake smiled softly. Suddenly, the discoloured flower made a lot of sense. But when Emma told him she and Jordan were going to get Gia, he felt the butterflies build up in his stomach.

"Wait. What about the lights or..."

"Jake, there's only so much we can do," Emma chuckled. "Jordan and I offered you some cash for the ring. I've set her bedroom up. This part's all you."

"Knock it out of the park," Jordan gave Jake a pat on the back and a smile, "And dude, if she's not crying tears of happiness, you've done something wrong."

"You've done everything right with Gia so far," Emma encouraged him. "She loves you for you. All the thought you put into this is what really counts. Just speak from the heart and you can't go wrong."

"Speaking... heart," Jake nodded his head nervously. "Oh man..."

He paced the room as Emma and Jordan stepped out. He hadn't gotten much chance to rehearse what he wanted to say to Gia, but now was the moment. Now was the time. He tapped his pocket to make sure he still had the ring and then rushed to pick up the bouquet. He wanted to be holding the flowers when Gia walked into the room.

"Oh shoot!" he cried when he caught a glance of himself in the mirror and saw he was wearing his jeans and sweatshirt. Gia had told him, when she thought he was Emma, that she loved the shirt Emma, as him, had worn on their date. He planned on surprising her by dressing up. But since the Sky Ship had been blown to pieces, Jake had very little to wear. That shirt was either buried in the rubble, or had gone up in smoke.

It was going to look like he had put no effort into the engagement at all. He was wearing his every day clothes. Clothes he sometimes played soccer in when he was too lazy to get changed. Clothes he laid around in all day. Clothes he sometimes didn't wash for weeks at a time.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he grumbled and lightly smacked himself in the head until he heard a gasp. He turned to the door and saw Gia had just walked in to discover what they had done to her room. Jake knew there was no turning back now.

"What the... Jake?" she asked him when she saw he was there waiting for her. He nodded his head and gulped.

"It's like the Butterfly Conservatory," he told her. "I... I wanted to go there, but with the end of the world coming up..."

"Did you make all these?" she pointed to the butterflies. Jake shook his head.

"Emma did most of the work. I kinda just helped finish it up. But it was my idea."

"How... what is... What's going on?" Gia asked. Jake walked up to her and offered the flowers. Gia looked up at him a little teary eyed. He could already tell it was the good tears. She seemed surprised. "Yellow... roses? How did you know...? I've... I've never told you..."

"It's a long story. One I want to explain after this," Jake said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Gia almost dropped her roses as her hand flew to her mouth.

"Jake?"

"I've... Um, well, I've never done this before and I'm really nervous," Jake said to her as he opened the box, revealing the ring. Even with Jordan and Emma's contributions he didn't have a lot. The stone wasn't even real diamond. Jake was a little worried, but hoped that Gia could see the thought that went into this proposal. She had never been one for flashy jewellery anyways.

"Jake... are you...?"

"Gia, it's no secret you're... well, complicated," he had to be careful how he phrased his proposal. He didn't want unintentionally insult her. She still hadn't given her answer. "I mean, most days, I have a hard time keeping up with what you've got going on in your head. And you can be pretty hard to read. But from the moment I first laid eyes on you I knew I wanted to figure you out. You're one book I really wanted to read and understand, even if it takes me my whole life."

Jake smiled as he dropped down on his knee. He looked up at Gia happily and hopefully. He could see she was crying as she hugged his bouquet close to her chest.

"I know what Cliff did to you," Jake continued. "I know all the damage he's done, the scars he's left. I know how he made you feel. I even hate including him in my proposal to you, but I had to do it because I wanted to tell you that I never want you to feel that way again. I want to spend the rest of my life, no matter how long that is, making sure no one else can hurt you again and you get all the love, care, and happiness in the world. So, Gia, will you marry me?"

Gia sobbed happily. Jake was hoping for a yes. She looked down at him.

"Are you... is this serious?"

"For real," Jake nodded his head. "I mean it. I mean every single word. Gia, I don't know what I'd do without you. Anytime I think you're dead or gone, I feel empty inside. You mean the world to me and I want to make sure you know just how special you are."

"You're really doing this? You're really... you're actually proposing to me?" Gia asked.

"This is happening," Jake nodded again and chuckled. "I'm dead serious. You're the one I want. The only girl I'm ever going to love as deeply as I do. And I love you for everything you are."

Jake gestured around the room, "I wanted to make this more special. A real date, a trip to the butterfly conservatory. A nicer ring and shirt. I mean, you deserve it all and I guess, if we survive the war, I can do this all again but..."

"Yes."

"You want me to re-propose?"

"Yes to this," Gia chuckled. She dropped down to her knees, set her bouquet down and cupped his face in her hands. She pulled him in for a soft kiss. When she pulled away, she looked into his eyes. "This is perfect."

"Really?"

"You make this perfect," Gia told him with a smile. Jake's face lit up. He couldn't be happier. He took Gia's hand, slid the ring on her finger and she pulled him in for another kiss. A deeper kiss.

"Are you sure?" Jake asked her when he felt her hands go to his belt. Gia continued to kiss him to shut him up.


	51. Long Kept Secrets

"Proposing on Animarium does top this, right?" Jordan asked Emma as they waited in the kitchen with Vanessa for news from Jake or Gia. It had been almost an hour since Gia had walked into her room for the proposal.

"It's not a contest," Emma chuckled.

"But if it was. Like, you're happy with it, right?"

Emma turned to Jordan with a curious frown, "That night was perfect. Why wouldn't you think so?"

"I don't know. Gia hasn't stormed out yet," Jordan shrugged. "You've got to think she said yes and now they're getting it on."

"Jordan!"

"That's my daughter!" Vanessa cried as she looked up from her job icing the cake to glare at Jordan. He shrugged nervously.

"Sorry."

"They have their special story. I have mine," Emma smiled. "Why do you care? Are you jealous?"

"He got it right the first time," Jordan muttered. "I'm kinda bummed I had to do it twice."

"Aw," Emma chuckled and wrapped her arms around her fiancé. "But your flub up was cute!"

"What guy thinks its okay to propose in your girlfriend's teacher's basement?" Jordan rolled his eyes. "I should have at least taken you outside."

"Hey, it gave me a proposal on Animarium. What more could I..." Emma suddenly squealed and jumped in her seat as someone approached her from behind and tickled her sides. She turned around to see who would attack her like that but then squealed again when she saw it was Gia. She leapt up from her seat and jumped into her best friend's arms.

Jordan walked over to Jake and pat his back, "She say yes?"

"Duh," Jake smirked.

"Atta boy."

"So what did he do?" Emma asked. She pulled away from Gia, but only slightly. In her delight, she refused to completely let go of her best friend. "How did he ask? Was it romantic?"

"It was everything I've ever wanted," Gia smiled as she glanced at Jake. He blushed.

"I mean, I tried," he said. Then he glanced to Jordan, Emma, and Vanessa, "Um, thanks everyone for your help."

"Yeah, thanks," Gia smiled. "This time, and only this time, I'll forgive any lies associated with secret keeping."

"Any lies?" Emma asked nervously. Gia frowned.

"Yes... Why?"

"Well..." Emma glanced over to Jake as they both recalled their incident not too long ago when they had gone to the Butterfly Conservatory. "Mom did buy me tickets to see the butterflies, but I didn't ask Jake to go because I was missing mom."

"And I didn't turn down our lunch date because I wasn't feeling well," Jake shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Jordan and Vanessa leaned in closer out of intrigue. Gia crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay. Keep talking."

"Jake wanted to talk about the engagement so I suggested we go there," Emma said.

"I had a good idea and I wanted to run it by her and it just couldn't wait," Jake promised his now fiancée. "I swear I had every intention of making it up to you."

"Well... I guess I can let that slide," Gia rolled her eyes. "It all worked out in the end."

"Actually..." Emma added nervously and moved away from Gia, breaking contact completely. "It doesn't end there. Do you remember Tranceferer?"

"The body switching guy?"

Emma nodded and pointed to herself and Jake, "We bumped into him on the way home. Jake wanted to keep it quiet so you wouldn't ask any questions."

"You two switched bodies?" Jordan cried out in shock and amusement. "Oh my god, that's hilarious!"

"Wait, you bumped into him after you visited the... but we didn't see him or destroy him until after... We had a date!" Gia turned to Jake, eyes wide with surprise. "You and I went out on a date that very night! If you two switched bodies..."

"Emma... took you out on the date..." Jake whispered softly. Jordan's laughter immediately stopped. Gia's jaw dropped. Vanessa squeezed her tube of icing.

"CLAIRE! Get in here!"

"I... you mean..." Gia looked back and forth between Jake and Emma. "You mean... That date... If you were... If Jake was..."

"You went on a date with my fiancée!" Jordan shouted.

"The best date we ever had was actually with Emma?" Gia turned to Jake.

"Claire!" Vanessa called again.

"If it's any consolation," Emma said to Gia, "You really are an amazing kisser. You've really got to teach me how to do that thing with your tongue."

"A kiss!" Jordan cried out.

"Claire!" Vanessa called.

"What's going on?" Claire asked as she rushed into the kitchen. The other Rangers weren't far behind.

"You made out with Emma?" Jordan cried out to Gia. Gia shrugged her shoulders and turned to Jake and Emma in confusion.

"What the hell did we miss?" Noah frowned.


	52. A Beloved Son

"It's not a very big ring," Rebecca said as she handed the piece back to Gia. The yellow Ranger frowned.

"It's not the size that matters," Gia turned to Jake and kissed his cheek. "I love it."

"I could only afford so much," Jake shrugged. "Being a Ranger doesn't exactly pay well."

"It's the thought that counts," Gia smiled.

"So, you're really engaged?" Noah looked to his best friend curiously. It was a huge shock to him. Jake had kept his plan to propose to Gia under wraps, which was understandable to Noah. However, now he had to live with the idea that his best friend from childhood was engaged to be married. "This is really happening?"

"We talked about a long engagement," Gia assured Noah, but said it mostly for her mother's sake. While Vanessa had given Jake her blessing to marry her daughter, they were still young. Beyond being Rangers, neither had any real plan for what they were going to do with their lives. "Jake wants to see how far soccer can take him, and I'm not really sure what I want to do yet."

"We're going to figure out where life takes us before we settle down," Jake smiled. "All I know is I don't want to be anywhere without Gia."

"You guys are sick," Jordan muttered from the love seat as he shovelled in another mouthful of Jake and Gia's engagement cake. Emma swat his arm gently.

"Don't be bitter."

"You said it was the best kiss of your life," Jordan glared at Gia. The yellow Ranger shook her head.

"Hey, don't look at me. I thought I was kissing Jake."

"I thought I was kissing Jake," Jordan repeated in a mocking tone. "I'll bet you loved it."

"I... whatever," Gia rolled her eyes and then couldn't help but get another glance at her ring. Her mother noticed the look and got up from her chair. She grabbed Claire's plate and then started picking up the dishes from the coffee and side tables.

"Gia, why don't you help me with the dishes?" she asked. She wanted a moment to talk to her daughter. Since the engagement had been announced, everyone had been swarming Jake and Gia. As the two got up, Jordan sighed loudly again.

"I'm just saying, it's hard not to feel threatened when your fiancée enjoyed being kissed by her best friend!"

Gia rolled her eyes as she followed her mother to the kitchen. She set the dirty plates in the sink and was about to turn the water on to let them soak when she felt the need to turn around. She did and saw her mother looking to her with admiration. She sighed.

"What?"

"I'm just... so happy for you," Vanessa said. She walked up to her daughter and brushed her hair behind her shoulders. "I've always dreamed of this for you, but for the last little while..."

"I've been difficult?"

"I had trouble really believing it would happen," Vanessa said. "Now Cliff's gone for good, Vrak's gone, the Armada's out of the way and you're home..."

"We're not done yet, mom," Gia said. "Something's still coming. Something bigger."

"But without your morpher..."

"It's just... it's not over yet, mom," Gia answered and looked down at her hands. In their battle against the Prince, the Rangers had used up all their power to destroy his Megazord. Unfortunately for them, Vekar had one last surprise. His Megazord had a self destruct, and the only way to stop him taking out the entire city was for the Megazord to take the brunt of the explosion. It cost the Rangers their Zords, their keys and their morphers, as Tensou's systems had all but been blown to pieces. Tensou was out in the wreckage working on salvaging what he could, but if he couldn't get the Ranger keys to work, the Rangers would have to resort to their old Megaforce Powers. Powers Gia no longer had because she had tossed her old morpher into the ocean, where it had gotten lost to even Tensou's most advanced tracking systems.

"But you're staying with me. With Claire, Rebecca, Ryan..."

"Mom..."

"Gia, you promised."

"They're my friends."

"Giana Moran!"

"Please don't full name me," Gia winced and pulled away from her mother. Vanessa grabbed her arm.

"Your friends have fought long and hard to see you get better."

"Mom, it's the fate of the world..."

"And if they can't handle what's coming with their powers, what makes you think you can? Alone?"

"I just... I don't like sitting on the side lines when they're in trouble. I can't lose them."

"What did Jake tell you?" Vanessa asked her daughter. "When you two talked..."

"Mom..."

"What did he say?"

"If something happens to them, mom," Gia stated. "Look, as long as they seem to have things under control I swear, I'll stay with you, Claire, and the girls. But if they look like they need help, or worse..."

"Don't even think that way..."

"You'd jump in for me," Gia looked her mother in the eyes. "You wouldn't think twice about it. Why can't I do the same for them?"

"We've invested a lot in you, Gia."

"So I'm an investment now?" Gia asked and then smirked. Vanessa sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You know what I'm saying."

"I'm smart now, mom. But my friends, my fiancé, mean something to me. You can't expect me not to break a few necks if these new aliens hurt them."

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"Breaking necks? Only when people deserve it."

"Calling him your fiancé. I saw that sparkle."

Gia blushed and turned away from her mother to focus on the dishes. Vanessa approached her teasingly then wrapped her arms around her daughter. She kissed her cheek.

"I'm very, very happy for you, Gia. And I want to continue being happy for you for years and years to come. We all do. Make sure that happens, got it?"

"I promise, mom," Gia answered just before the exterior wall of the kitchen was blown to pieces. Gia and Vanessa were both thrown against the opposite wall and left feeling rattled as Imperial Guards stormed into the home.

"The Emperor has commanded we arrest the one responsible for the death of his beloved son!" one guard announced. "Find her and kill the others."

"Her?" Vanessa muttered and turned to her daughter. Gia was rubbing her head painfully, almost as if she was unaware of what had just happened. It had only been days since she had taken the brutal beating from Vrak and nearly died from it. Especially without her powers, she was in no condition to fight.

Vanessa then noticed the Rangers were making their way into the kitchen. They were swarmed by Guards and were having a tough time getting used to being back in their old, less powerful suits. Vanessa wasn't sure she had long, especially when one Guard made his way around the island and spotted them.

"Gia, let's go," she said and pulled Gia up to her feet. She could see Claire ushering Jordan and Rebecca upstairs and knew to follow them. She kept Gia close, kicked the Guard in the stomach and then started to run.

"Thanks for the karate lessons, Mack," she muttered. She was just about to reach the stairs when Troy landed on them and Guards surrounded him. Vanessa stopped and wrapped her arms around her daughter. One Guard pointed his blaster at Troy's chest.

"I did it!" Troy shouted. "I killed the Prince!"

"Troy!" Vanessa shouted at him. Troy grabbed his own blaster, shot the Guard down and made some room on the stairs.

"I've got my powers. I'm better off. Besides I did kill Vekar."

"Don't be stupid!" Vanessa scolding him as she started to take Gia up the stairs.

"Move, Red," one Guard shoved Troy aside. "It's not you we're after!"

"Wait... what?" Troy frowned deeply. "But I... I killed Vekar. I killed the Prince. I enjoyed doing it!"

"Prince Vekar was a waste of life!" one Guard announced. He raised his blaster and shot it at Vanessa's feet. It didn't hit her, but it did blow apart the steps she was trying to climb. Vanessa tripped from the blast and tumbled down the stairs. Gia, before her fall, managed to grab hold of the railing. "We're after the one who killed the Emperor's favourite son. Prince Vrak!"

"Hey! You overgrown Loogies!" Jake taunted as he rushed over with a frying pan and smashed one of the Guards across the face. "Red is so cliché. Why not try facing the black Ranger. I bet you can't beat me."

"Kill him," one Guard ordered and then shoved his way past Troy to get to the stairs. Just as he was about to start climbing, Vanessa grabbed his legs and held on tight to trip him. He fell into what was left of the stairs and looked down to see what had trapped his legs. He raised his blaster. He had commands to kill everyone but the person responsible for killing Prince Vrak.

He always followed orders.

"Out of my way, slave," he was just about to pull the trigger when Gia jumped from the top of the stairs and landed on his back. She grabbed his head and twisted it, breaking his neck before he even knew what hit him. As he collapsed to the floor, she helped her mother up and turned to Jake. She pointed to his weapon of choice: the frying pan.

"Where the hell is your Snake Axe?"

"I lost it."

"How do you lose a Snake Axe?"

"How do you lose a morpher in the ocean?" Jake frowned behind his helmet. "Now seriously, get out of here! We've got this!"

"Jake..."

"Go!" Jake shouted. He raised his pan and struck another Guard in the face before it got too close to Gia.

"You!" a Guard pointed to Gia. "You're the one!"

"Uh, Troy here's the one who killed your precious prince," Jake said and pointed to the red Ranger. Troy threw his arms up.

"Oh, hey, thanks a lot."

"Sorry," Jake shrugged. "Pick on him for a change!"

"We managed to recover some of Vrak's notes from his ruined palace," a Guard explained as his army redirected their attention over to the stairs. "You, Gia Moran, are under arrest for the death of the Prince."

"Oh shit," Gia muttered. She grabbed her mother and jumped to the top of the steps. She made sure Vanessa had landed safely. "You good?"

"I'm good. Come on, let's..."

"There's nowhere for me to hide," Gia shook her head. "Not in here. Not without putting you, Claire and the girls in danger."

"Gia..."

"Mom, please," Gia begged. Vanessa sighed, but didn't get a chance to answer before Tiger slipped past She leaped down the stairs and landed on the face of the closest Guard. She bit and scratched as much as she could before he forcefully removed her and launched her across the room to the front door.

"Come home," Vanessa whispered. Gia nodded her head, shoved her mother down the hallway and then jumped down the stairs again. She landed on a Guard and crushed him, then stole his blaster and shot herself a clear path to the front door. She kept the blaster in her hand as she scooped down to pick up her cub.

"Anything happens to me, you run, got it," she told Tiger as she took off running down the street. She could hear her friends fighting back home but knew her safest bet was to keep going. They had weapons and powers. All she had was a blaster she barely knew how to use and a tiger cub.

But before she could make it far down the street, a space ship flew over head and more Guards appeared before her. She tried to turn around, but they had her surrounded.

"Gia Moran, yellow Ranger, defender of the planet Earth. You are under arrest for the death of Prince Vrak!"

"You know," Gia said as she tried to find a way out. Unfortunately, there were too many Imperial Guards around her for her to see anything. "You're far from being the first alien I've ever pissed off. But what if we changed the story a bit? We sit down, have a nice cup of tea..."

She ducked as someone fired at her.

"Maybe you need something stronger. Just name your poison. I'm game. As long as we can talk about this peacefully."

A Guard approached her from behind and shoved her to the ground. Before Gia could say anything, a heavy set of cuffs was locked to her wrists.

"Tiger! Get help!" she shouted and Tiger tried to run, but an Imperial Guard shot the cub. "NO!"

"Bring the mutant," a Guard commanded and two more scooped up Tiger's limp body while the first Guard placed a blindfold on Gia. Gia started to squirm.

"No! Let her go! She's just a cub! Tiger!"

"Emperor Mavro will have fun destroying you," an Imperial Guard announced. "Killing his favourite son will be your biggest mistake."


	53. The Warning

After the attack on the Moran home, the Rangers were left to pick up the pieces. They had defeated all the Guards that had invaded their home and then noticed the space ship over the city. Seeing it hadn't stayed long, and the invasion of the city seemed to return to normal just after its disappearance, the Rangers could only assume they got what they came for.

"Vekar's prince, but Vrak's the favourite son?" Noah asked as he placed a kitchen chair upright.

"Does it surprise you?" Orion asked. "Given Vekar's attitude, something tells me he's not exactly..."

"Competent?" Rebecca said. "Vrak is the better fighter. He's got the better plans. And he doesn't run off sulking when they go wrong like Vekar does. He takes matters into his own hands."

"Yeah, but it's not like Vekar didn't have any good invasion ideas," Noah pointed out.

"Maybe they weren't his ideas," Rebecca suggested to him. "Maybe he just got the credit because he's a bratty prince."

"It should have been me," Troy whispered. He turned to Ryan, who was doing her own version of cleaning up by checking out everything that was broken. "I killed Prince Vekar. I did it with my own hands, I..."

"Troy, Vekar wasn't even liked by his father, apparently," Rebecca assured him. "If you wanted to be arrested, you picked the wrong brother to kill."

"I'm the red guy," Troy looked up. "If they're going to come after anyone..."

"Vrak was obsessed with Gia," Emma pointed out as she walked into the kitchen with a bowl of water and a rag. "If those Imperial Guards salvaged anything of his, it probably had Gia's name all over it. No one could have covered for her."

Emma placed the bowl and the rag down on what was left of the counter and then turned to Jake. He was sitting in a corner staring at his morpher hopelessly. "Jake..."

"What if she doesn't make it home?" Jake looked up and asked. The Rangers turned to him.

"Gia's been in tight situations before," Jordan assured him. "If anyone can get out of this mess, it's her."

"She just woke up from the pounding Vrak gave her. She was out for days!"

"Tensou's laser..."

"What if that was my last chance to be with her?" Jake asked. "What if this is always how this was supposed to end? She hasn't even done anything to this emperor guy and..."

"She killed his son."

"So did Troy!" Jake shouted and pointed to the red Ranger. "This emperor dude had two sons. Why couldn't he go after both of them?"

"It would have been better," Rebecca agreed. Troy turned to his sister in shock.

"Becca!"

"What? You have your powers," Rebecca shrugged. "Gia wouldn't be all alone. She doesn't even have a morpher. She's got no powers. And she's still not a hundred percent after Vrak nearly killed her. I'm not saying I'd wish you into enemy hands. I'm just saying, if there was the option for a double kidnap over this... you know."

"You're screwed up," Troy sighed and shook his head.

"Guys, we can't just sit here and sulk," Orion said. "These Imperial Guards and their emperor have made the first move. We need to start fighting back."

"With what powers?" Jake scoffed and lifted the frying pan he had used to fight when an Imperial Guard took his Snake Axe, "This'll only get us so far. There's only four of us with our Megaforce Powers, and those feel like toys compared to what we're used to. These Imperial Guards are like Loogies or X-Borgs on steroids, and if this emperor guy's the real big bag and we had this much trouble against his two sons..."

"So that's it? We're just going to lay down and let him take this planet?" Orion asked. He walked over to Jake, "You're just going to let him take Gia?"

"Well... no, but..."

"I didn't get the chance to fight for my planet. I didn't have any of the weapons or the powers we have right now. You guys are Power Rangers, and your old suits might not be as powerful, but they're still ten times more than what I had. I'd have killed for them when the Armada took over Andrasia..."

"Orion..."

"If we're going to lose everything," Orion stated as he turned to the rest of his team, "I'd rather go down fighting. If I'm going to lose my home a second time, I want to know I gave it my best. I'd rather die fighting for the people I care about and the home I love than sit back and lose it all anyways. This emperor guy's going to have to go through all of us."

"Me!" Ryan said with a smile and clapped her hands. Orion nodded and lifted her into his arms.

"The little one's ready for a fight. Don't tell me Little Red's got more courage and strength than all of you."

"Ryan's not fighting," Troy shook his head and took his sister from Orion's arms. He set her down and redirected her attention to the living room. "But I will. I've come too far to just give up now."

"What the hell," Noah muttered. "I've got nothing better to do."

"That's the spirit?" Orion frowned.

"Someone's got to save Gia's butt," Emma nodded. She turned to Jake, "Are you really going to let the emperor take your _fiancée_?"

Jake sighed and shook his head. He got up to his feet and then held up the frying pan.

"I'll take out his whole empire with this if I've got to. We'll show him he's messed with the wrong planet."

-Megaforce-

Gia couldn't see. The Guards had covered her eyes with a blindfold. But she could hear Tiger's cries and growls and it broke her heart.

"Stop it!" she screamed to whoever was hurting her cub. "Let her go! Please!"

She tried to get to her feet, but two Guards grabbed her shoulders and forced her to her knees.

"Emperor, shall we just..."

"No," a deep, gruff voice answered and it struck fear into Gia's heart. She knew who he was, though she had never seen or really heard of him. He was the emperor. He was Vrak and Vekar's father and the true force behind the invasion. If his henchmen were anything to go by, he was stronger than anything the Rangers had faced before. "This... mutant will be my message to these... Rangers."

"Don't you dare hurt her or I'll..." Gia tried to get up again but the Guards held her down and one punched her in the stomach. She doubled over and let out a cry of pain.

"Finish with this mutant," the emperor announced. "Send it back to where it came from. Tell the Rangers they have a week to surrender before the true invasion begins."

"And this Ranger?" one of the Guards asked as he grabbed the back of Gia's hair and pulled her head up.

"Make an example out of her. Show this planet it is better to accept their fate. I cannot be stopped."

"As you command," a Guard answered and then he and another grabbed Gia's arms and started to drag her off. She screamed and tried to fight but couldn't get herself freed in time for what happened next. She heard Tiger cry out and then felt a tug on her heart, similar to the one she felt the first time she had lost Tiger.

"No! No! Tiger!"

A door slammed and Gia was dragged down what she could only assume was a long hallway.

Back in the throne room, a Guard picked up Tiger and then headed down another hallway to a smaller space craft. He dumped the cub in the back of his ship and then took off for Earth. He landed in the same neighbourhood where he had picked up the Tiger and carried her out of the ship. Almost instantly, the Rangers were out on the street, weapons at the ready, but they seemed to relax just a little bit when they saw what he was holding.

"This is a warning from our Emperor," he announced. "Surrender now or we will take no mercy on those who stand in our way."

"Where's Gia?" the one in black shouted. The Imperial Guard shook his head and turned back to his space ship but he didn't make it inside. Something shot him in the back and knocked him off his feet. As he rolled over to look up, he saw the black Ranger standing over him. He had recovered the Snake Axe one of his men had taken from him.

"We have a message for the emperor as well," Jake said and then brought his Snake Axe down, piercing through the body of the Imperial Guard. "We're not going down without a fight."

While he made sure the Imperial Guard was actually dead, Emma powered down and raced over to Tiger. She saw the cub was bound tightly, with a rope around her shout to act as a very tight, very painful muzzle, and more rope binding all four of her legs together.

"Come on, Tiger, don't do this," Emma whispered. Troy gave her his sword and she cut through the rope carefully. However, Tiger still lay limp. Emma worried the burn on the cub's side was much worse than it looked. "Tiger, please. You're okay now. You're safe."

It wasn't a pleasant sound, but a panicked, pained, and sad whine from Tiger let Emma and the rest of the Rangers know she was alive. She suddenly squirmed as she tried to get up. Emma held her down gently.

"Shh. Shh, it's okay. You're okay," she whispered. She scooped the cub up in her arms and then took off her jacket to wrap her up. Tiger continued to whine and struggle. Emma knew exactly what she was doing. She was looking for Gia. "We'll get her back," she promised the cub.

"We should get her home," Jake suggested. "She looks hurt. When we get Gia back, she'll kill us if we let that burn go unchecked."

"It's not my first wild animal burn," Emma said with a sigh as she kept Tiger close to her chest. Her friends all looked to her curiously. She shrugged, "Relax, it's still my first tiger. Some kids thought it would be funny to start a campfire in the woods and leave it. Once the fire department doused the flames, I noticed a baby fox with a burn and... took it home."

"Of course you did," Noah rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Did the fox recover?" Jake asked. Emma nodded.

"Completely. I released him a few weeks later."

"That's good enough for me," Jake said. He placed his hand gently on Tiger's head, "We'll take care of you until mommy comes home."


	54. For Her Final Trick

The Armada Emperor had given them a deadline. Troy couldn't help but think of this as he sat in the living room and watched as Emma tended to the burn on Tiger's side. They had a week to surrender to the invading forces.

It wasn't like the Rangers hadn't been given this ultimatum before. Vekar had tried it once on Gia and Troy's advice to her then had been to refuse it. They were Rangers, they never surrendered. But seeing the destruction they had already caused to the city, hearing how widespread it was getting in such a short amount of time, and having already faced an army of Imperial Guards, Troy knew this battle was going to be tougher than any they had faced before.

And they were still without their Super Megaforce Powers, and therefore, they were two Rangers short. Orion only had his Super Megaforce Morpher and keys, and Gia had thrown her old morpher into the ocean.

"What are you thinking about?" Rebecca asked as she sat down next to him and offered him a slice of toast. She couldn't give him much more in terms of food. The latest invasion of the home had destroyed the kitchen.

"We're not safe anymore," Troy said. Rebecca frowned deeply.

"You mean we were safe before?"

"We've got nowhere to go," Troy gestured around. "Look at this place, Becca. It's ruined. The Sky Ship is ruined. The Command Center is ruined."

"Hey, we're going to figure something out," Rebecca put her hand on her brother's back and leaned in a little closer to him. "You guys were all pumped about stopping this Invasion..."

"And I still am. I still want to. It's just... maybe it's a good idea to lay low for a bit," Troy turned to her. Rebecca raised an eyebrow.

"What are you...?"

"We don't have the powers to fight back just yet," Troy said. By now, he noticed the rest of his friends were starting to listen in on his conversation so he spoke up. "Tensou's working on getting us as much power as we can, but we haven't heard from him in a while so we have to assume he needs more time."

"So we just roll over?" Jake asked. "Dude, these bastards have Gia, and now you decided to duck and cover?"

"These guys are stronger, Jake! They have more power than we do. "If we do surrender, just for..."

"You mean give up?"

"We're never giving up," Troy shook his head, "But if we let the emperor and the Imperial Guards believe we're not going to put up a fight, maybe their invasion will be more peaceful than if we try anything now."

"Troy might be right," Noah shrugged his shoulders. "The Imperial Guards smoked us, and if those are just the Loogies or X-Borgs for what's to come, our powers aren't going to hold up."

"If we lay down, just for now, we can keep things peaceful with these aliens. Once Tensou's got more power for us, we can fight."

"We'll have the element of surprise," Orion nodded his head. "As much as I don't like handing over another planet, staying alive is a better plan than going in guns blazing before we're ready. I like my odds better with my Ranger key than without it."

"So, we're just going to wait it out?" Jordan asked. "Act like we're defeated. Let these aliens invade our planet?"

"Just for now," Troy said. "Just until we've got a better opportunity. Right now, everything's looking too bleak for my liking."

"Kids," Vanessa called softly as she walked into the room. Her face was still stained with tears but she was trying to appear brave for the Rangers. She walked over to the TV and turned it on. It still worked after the attack, but the picture was a little off. It didn't keep the Rangers from seeing what was going on. "It's every channel. They're going to kill her."

"What's going on?" Rebecca asked. Noah took her hand.

"It's the Imperial Guards. They're making a speech, I think. Mrs. Moran can you..."

"Don't turn up the volume," Vanessa shook her head. "I'm sorry. I... I can't watch this."

She stepped out of the room and ran back upstairs. Noah squeezed Rebecca's hand.

"It looks like they're about to execute Gia," he told her. "Publicly."

"In public?" Rebecca asked. "Wait, so... everyone can see her?"

The Rangers frowned and took a minute to consider what Rebecca had said. For them, it had come as no surprise to see Gia in the hands of the Imperial Guards. They knew who she was. They knew what had happened to her. But when Rebecca pointed out that this was Gia they were executing and not the yellow Ranger, it dawned on them exactly what the Imperial Guards had done.

"Have they mentioned yet that she's the yellow Ranger?" Jake asked. Emma picked up the remote and turned up the volume. She knew Vanessa likely didn't want to hear it so tried not to make it too loud. She and the Rangers listened carefully.

"Earthlings, we have one of your protectors. This yellow Ranger is responsible for the death of Prince Vrak, the son of your new leader Emperor Mavro. To punish her for this crime, and to ensure you all know your place as slaves to the Emperor, she will be executed publicly here on this day, at this time."

"Guys! Go do something!" Rebecca cried out and started to push Noah off the couch.

"You don't think people are going to believe Gia's the yellow Ranger, do you?" Emma asked. Rebecca continued to shove Noah.

"Go! She needs help! We're lying down, but we're not letting this Emperor guy kill her!"

"Rebecca..."

"Come on!"

"Becca, it's too late," Noah put his arm around her. Rebecca tried to push him off and shook her head.

"She's not... she can't already be dead! He said she will be executed..."

"She's surrounded by Imperial Guards. They've all got their blasters trained on her..." Orion said and nervously started to bite on his thumb. Jake tapped his foot impatiently and wished Tensou had restored his ability to teleport. He could run quickly, but the execution was taking place downtown. Unless the Imperial Guards were going to milk this moment for at least an hour, Jake knew he would be too late to do anything.

"Come on, Gia. You've never died before," he whispered. "One more trick. You've got to have one more trick up your sleeve."

Tiger looked up at the TV from Emma's lap and tried to attack it, hoping she could save Gia. Emma caught the cub and hugged her in her arms. She shook her head.

"She's terrified. She's not... she's got nothing..."

One Imperial Guard walked up to Gia and grabbed her face in his hand.

"Any last words, Ranger?"

"Milk?"

That word hit the Rangers like a punch to the gut. Jake dropped his head in his hands and turned away from the TV, unable to watch what was about to take place. Troy clutched his Gosei Morpher tightly. Noah wrapped his arms around Rebecca. Jordan grabbed his hair in his fists and muttered to Gia to pull something out of her sleeve.

Emma clutched Tiger tight and was unable to take her eyes off the screen, even though she knew the next image would haunt her for the rest of her life. The Imperial Guard stepped away from Gia, picked up his blaster and gave out the command to fire. However, just before he and the rest of his army could, the White Samurai Ranger appeared in a mist of Power Symbols that all turned to boulders above the Guards' heads. They crashed down before any blast could be shot, the white Ranger cut through the ropes holding Gia captive and then, just as quickly as she had appeared, she and Gia were gone.

The Rangers' hearts caught in their throat. It was a miracle. They had no idea where Gia had gone, but they knew who had taken her and knew she was in safe hands. Gia had been saved.

They had all been saved.

The one Guard who had ordered the execution and made the speech was the only Guard to survive being crushed. He pushed his boulder away and looked to the stage where the yellow Ranger had been standing only seconds before. He turned to the city, where some people had gathered to watch and roared, "You mean there are more of those damn Rangers?"

"A Ranger?" Rebecca asked. She couldn't see what was on TV, and only heard the cries and gasps from the audience and her friends before the execution could happen. She grabbed Noah's arm. "Which Ranger? Did she pull it off? Did Gia...?"

"She's alive," Jake whispered with a bright smile on his face. "She... she's safe!"

"What? How did she do it? What's he talking about, Rangers?"

"We're not alone," Troy smirked.


	55. Help Is Coming

The Armada wasn't going to take Gia's rescue lying down. After the white Ranger had swooped in to save her at the last minute, Emperor Mavro had ordered an attack. He didn't want the planet thinking they could stand up against him. He didn't want them to feel a shred of hope that he was about to back down. If he couldn't execute one of their heroes before their eyes, he was going to execute as many of them who turned up to the execution as possible.

Imperial Guards arrived on Earth and started to lay waste. People ran as quickly as they could, but with the streets so busy, it was hard to get out. One little girl's hand slipped out of her mother's, and before she could grab on again, she was pushed and shoved as bigger kids and adults moved past her. They were only concerned for their own lives, they didn't care about a little girl.

"Mommy!" she screamed and tried to find her own way, but with everyone being taller than her, she was quickly lost and soon found herself running into an Imperial Guard. He raised his staff to kill her and she screamed again.

"Pick on someone your own size!" she suddenly heard someone shout and saw the Imperial Guard fall back as a man jumped in front of her. He stood before the guard and protectively in front of her.

"We'll keep you safe," a woman told her and picked her up, ushering her away from the imperial guard while the man kept it busy. The girl clung onto the woman and watched over her shoulder as the man defeated the guard.

She was brought inside a shop, where people where gathering. Everything on the street was being broadcast on TV, but there was nothing in the shops. Because the Armada wanted to cause terror, they were only killing people who had the misfortune of being locked out. The little girl was shoved through the doors at the last minute before they were closed. The shop was packed with people and couldn't hold any more. Anyone who came after her needed to find somewhere else to hide. The little girl knew this well and watched as her rescuer was forced to stay on the streets longer.

But the woman looked to her through the glass doors with a smile and a nod of the head before she took off again down the street. She spotted another shop with it's doors still open and guided people there until it was full, and then proceeded to help the rest find other shops, buildings or homes where they too could retreat. She couldn't save them all. There were dozens of bodies left laying on the street, leaving her with a sick feeling in her stomach, but she told herself she had saved countless more.

She turned to where her partner was standing, clutching a bloodied arm. He had stopped the Imperial Guards, but it seemed not without paying a small price.

"Mike!"

"I'm fine, Em," Mike told her as she rushed over to him. She knew he was – he had to be – but she couldn't help but check him out for herself, just to be sure. This rescue was only going to be the first of many, and she needed him not just as her partner, but also as her husband. Her twins had been left with their grandparents, but they had promised Quinn and Felix that they would both come home. Emily didn't want to have to tell either of her children their father was gone.

"Did you get them all?" she asked.

"All the ones here. The Armada's surely got a bunch more."

"That's why we're here," Emily nodded and then looked over to where Gia's execution had been supposed to take place. Mike saw her staring and gently nudged her.

"Serena got to her just in time and I'm sure they're both fine. We pulled it off, Em. We did everything we needed."

"I know. It's just... well, you know what she's like. And she's always saying Gia's a lot like her. Two Serenas sticking together...?"

"They'll be fine. Serena's going to find the other Rangers, bring them back together, and we'll see her soon. I promise."

"You better be right," Emily nodded. Mike kissed her forehead.

"Let's find the others and head back to base. We stay out here too long and this Emperor guy might figure out who we are."

-Megaforce-

The Armada wasn't happy, that much was sure. Gia's execution was supposed to be his grand gesture of power. Capturing a Ranger and killing her for the world to see would have been the ultimate move to show he was in control and there was nothing that could stop him. Another Ranger turning up to help, especially right at the last moment, and been a huge upset and if the Armada let it go without consequences, surely it would inspire hope and the will to fight in the people of Earth, rather than fear and submission.

No one could blame Serena for jumping in to save Gia. No one even thought to. The Rangers were one big family, and in times of trouble they needed to help each other out. But Serena's move meant everyone needed to work ensure the aftermath wouldn't end horribly for the Earth. If the planet was wiped out by the Armada's rage, saving a Ranger would have meant nothing.

The Samurai had gone after Serena to control the crowd at the execution. Carter had gone into the city with some of his teammates to help out where he could. With the Armada so focused on the execution, they could jump in and give hope to people who were stranded or injured and would die if left any longer.

One building had suffered quite a few blows in one of the invasions since the Emperor had arrived and Carter knew there were still people inside. Most of the top floors had been evacuated but there were many people in need on the basement floor.

Carter smashed the door to the basement in while Dana waited a little ways back. As soon as the door was open, she rushed down. From the top of the stairs, she and Carter could hear a few people crying, or screaming out in pain. There was even some yelling. Dana rushed to a man who was bleeding heavily while Carter put himself between two men who were physically fighting.

"Stop it! Stop it!" he shouted as he pushed them apart. It had been years since he had been a Ranger, but his career as a firemen kept his as fit as ever. He easily pushed the men away from each other and shook his head. "We shouldn't be fighting each other! We're all we've got!"

"Fatso over there isn't sharing the food!"

"I'm a big man! I need to eat!"

"My wife's not eaten in a day!" the first man shouted. "We're supposed to give to those who need it most!"

"Your wife. Your problem! I know for a fact you've been stashing away food for yourself the entire time we've been stuck down here!"

"You're not stuck anymore!" Carter shouted and pointed a scolding glare at both of them. "We got the door open..."

"But there are aliens everywhere..."

"The emperor's focus is downtown right now," Carter told everyone in the basement. They barely had any light, using only what they could find to burn. They didn't have a TV or radio to know what was going on above the basement and in the city and likely had no idea of the execution that had nearly taken place. Carter didn't want to be the one that told them. He didn't want them to panic even more. "He's got all his soldiers headed that way. If we leave now, many of us might be able to get out of the city."

Carter then pointed to Dana, who had moved away from the bleeding man and onto another patient. The man had bleed out so Dana needed to keep her focus on the people she could save, and needed to work quickly to give as many the best chance they had.

"This is Dr. Dana Mitchell. She's one of the best this country's got. If you can walk, leave now. If you need to be looked after, she'll help you out."

"Where are we going to go?" a woman asked Carter.

"Everything seems to be focused on Harwood. I'm sure, wherever they are, the Power Rangers are still out there fighting. Leave town. Get to any city you can. Get as far away from here as you can. Angel Grove, Mariner Bay, Reefside, find a city where there aren't many Guards."

The woman nodded and took her young children with her as they rushed out of the basement. Many people followed while a few remained to be looked after by Dana. One teenager, who seemed to be on his own, stayed in the corner. Carter walked over to him.

"Are you okay?"

"Everything's gone," the teenager sighed. "Two of the Guards just... stormed into my home one night. They killed everyone, just for fun, it looks like."

"These monsters are ruthless," Carter nodded his head. "But the fight's not over. The Power Rangers are..."

"Nowhere! The planet's invaded. They might still be alive, but what chance do they really have. Face it. We've lost! We're just delaying the inevitable..."

"It seems hopeless right now," Carter told him, "But believe me, as long as the Power Rangers are still out there, the fight is far from over. We'll do anything it takes."

"We?"

Carter nodded to his head and pulled on the emblem on the sleeve of his jacket, "Carter Grayson, Lightspeed Rescue."

"Lightspeed?"

"You probably would have only been in diapers," Carter chuckled. "I'm a Power Ranger. Follow the others, find somewhere safe, then look it up. I promise, we're doing everything we can do here, but we need you to do your part."

"And what? Stay alive?"

"Exactly," Carter nodded. He took off his jacket then gave it to the teenager, "Here. Take it. It's yours, just as long as you get yourself, and anyone else you find on the way somewhere safe. As long as you promise never to give up the fight."

"You better not be wrong," the teenager said. He grabbed the jacket and then got to his feet. Carter watched him leave and then looked over to Dana. She was finishing up her examination on a family by checking over a little boy.

"You have to do something," the mother told Dana. "Please, he can't be gone!"

Dana shook her head, lay the boy on the ground and shut his eyes, "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."

"No! He was fine this morning! It was just a cough!"

"You need to go," Dana told the mother and tried to guide her, her husband, and their young daughter up the stairs. The mother refused and dropped to her knees by her son.

"No! No, we can't leave him here!"

"Miss, you need to get out. You need to move quickly. We don't know how long the emperor will be..."

"Do something!" the mother shouted at Dana. Dana looked over to Carter, wordlessly asking for his help. He cut in, gently grabbing the mother's arm and pulling her to her husband.

"You need to get out," he looked the husband right in the eyes. "You need to protect what's left of your family. Head to Mariner Bay. You'll be safe there."

"But our son..."

"You still have a little girl," Carter said. He knelt before the girl, "You've got to be very brave. Can you do that for me?"

The girl clung to her father but nodded her head.

"Charlie?" she asked and pointed to her brother. Conner sighed.

"He can't come with you. But he's not gone," Carter said and then gently placed his hand on top of her head, "You'll always keep him right here. Right in your memories."

The little girl clung to her father while Carter got back to his feet. He looked the man in the eyes, "Keep his memory alive."

The man nodded his head, grabbed his daughter in his arms and then took his wife by the arm.

"We've got to go, Clara. There's nothing else we can do."

Carter took a deep breath as he watched the family leave. Then he turned around to Dana, who was kneeling next to the little boy, looking over his sadly. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"I know he's back," Dana nodded her head. "But it's still hard."

"How about we see what Ryan's up to?" Carter suggested and pulled out his cell phone. "We'll find the others, finish up around here and then head back to base."


	56. The Cost Of War

Karone had done a lot of bad in her time. Of course, the responsibility of her actions fell on Astronema, but Karone carried the blame around with her despite everything she had done over the years to make up for her past. She had served as a Ranger, helping the Lost Galaxy team after Kendrix's sacrifice, and she had tried to live her life helping as many people as possible since retiring, but nothing felt like enough. She had conquered many planets, destroyed many homes and killed so many people.

This felt like her chance at redemption. Way back when, she had heard of a large Armada from other galaxies. She had heard of the name Mavro once or twice, but never paid any mind to it. As Astronema, she was the Princess of Evil and known throughout the Universe as a force to be reckoned with. Back then, she always figured if she ever crossed paths with Emperor Mavro, she would destroy him and his Armada just like any other forces she came across and she would take over as Princess of all the planets he had already conquered.

Now, the time had come to face him, but she wasn't Astronema. She was Karone, and she had taken on the responsibility of Pink Galaxy Ranger for this very reason. Emperor Mavro was trying to do what she had attempted once before. She knew this wouldn't completely make up for her mistakes, but it would certainly go a long way.

Without Astronema, Karone knew she needed to be careful. She had the Rangers fighting by her side and all their Powers. Tommy had assembled them all when it became clear that the Megaforce Rangers would need help. Emperor Mavro was presenting a threat to the world that was bigger, stronger, and more dangerous than any other. Karone knew that if Astronema were watching, even she would have to be impressed by what Emperor Mavro had already accomplished. He had only arrived to Earth for a short time, and he already had the planet on their knees. The Earth was done, but it wasn't yet out.

It would almost be easier to fight back if she were Astronema. Being evil was a frustrating task, with the heroes always getting in her way and always making her job harder, but there was so much less to worry about. If Astronema had wanted to stop Emperor Mavro, she could do whatever she wanted. She could sent out soldier after soldier without any regard to the lives that were being lost. She could have his ship be blown to pieces, sacrificing all the soldiers that planted the bombs on the ship, but also levelling everything that lay under the ships as they hovered over the planet. She could host a battle right here, right now in Harwood County without caring at all about all the innocent lives being lost. Astronema only needed to care for herself, and if, at the end of the day, she made it through victorious, it didn't matter what happened to the people around her.

Karone didn't have that luck. She needed to worry about the people she was fighting with, the people she was fighting for, and the planet she wanted to protect. She needed to keep everyone safe, even if it cost her her life. It was completely the opposite of what Astronema needed and wanted to do, and so much more trouble.

But she had been the villain once, and she had been a Ranger once. Fighting for good was a much more difficult task, but it was a lot more rewarding.

After helping to evacuate a residential area of Harwood County, Karone found herself sitting on a rooftop and staring up at what she could see of the stars. Right now, the sky was mostly filled with Emperor Mavro's ships.

"Hot chocolate?" her brother offered her and Karone saw a mug being presented to her. She looked up at Andros with a faint smile as she accepted the drink.

"Everyone's back?"

"Safe and sound," Andros said. "TJ and Cassie just got back and are going to take a minute to rest up before we head back to base and meet back with the others. How did it go with Leo and Damon?"

"We put as many people on buses as we could. The rest are travelling on foot. We couldn't save them all, though."

"You never can," Andros said. He sat down beside his sister and then looked up. "We beat an invasion like this once. We can do it again."

Karone knew he hadn't meant anything by it, but she didn't respond. Instead, she looked down at her drink with a little sigh. Andros realized what he said and shook his head. "I mean... Karone, I didn't..."

"It's okay," she said. "Sometimes, I just wish it didn't happen."

"Only sometimes," Andros shook his head. "Every day, I wish none of this had ever happened. I wish I could have protected you that day in the park. Then maybe we wouldn't be here."

"Or maybe it would be worse," Karone turned to him. "I've heard of Mavro. He was in a distant galaxy at the time, but he was around. Maybe Astronema's the only thing that kept him away this long."

"Astronema's been gone a long time."

"It's a long ways away," Karone reminded him, "And there are plenty of planets to be conquered on the way. I'm surprised he's made it over this quickly. I just... I wish I could have stopped it sooner. I knew Mavro was out there and..."

"We're doing what we can..."

"But all those people, those planets," Karone turned to her brother. "Billions of lives were lost, and if I had just..."

"Billions more will be saved," Andros said to her with a little smile. "We're going to stop Mavro here and now. We're going to make sure he's not going to hurt another planet again. KO-35 is still safe, and if we defeat Mavro here, we'll safe everyone there, everyone on Mirinoi, everyone..."

"But all the lives lost..."

"Karone, we can't save everyone," Andros reminded her and took her hand, "But we'll save the ones we can. And we'll fight as hard as we can to make sure this is where the suffering stops."

Andros looked to his sister and nudged her gently, "You're going to be great out there, you know. Tommy's assembled a really good team to fight by his side. To be honest, I'm kind of jealous you were chosen and not me."

"You're fighting with the red Rangers," Karone rolled her eyes. "That's legendary on its own. I remember when he recruited you for a red only mission."

"It's going to be a lot of fun, I'm sure. But there's a huge honour in what you're going to do."

"We're all doing it. We're all going to save the world. We better," Karone looked down at her drink again. "I mean, maybe this is just me being a little biased, but if Astronema can't rule Earth, no one should."

"No one will. You'll be great out there," Andros assured her and put his arm around her softly. "No one's even going to remember Astronema. You'll be a hero. You are a hero."

He kissed the side of her head, "I'll check up on the others. Don't stay out too late. You know better than anyone that..."

"Mavro's got eyes everywhere," Karone nodded her head. "I'll be inside soon."

-Megaforce-

"I am beat!" Lily announced as she walked into the Ranger based and dropped into a yellow beanbag chair. RJ had brought it along when he got the message from Tommy asking they all meet up in a secret location. Lily thought he had been crazy to take his beanbag chairs with him, but now that it gave her somewhere comfortable to rest up after a long day, she was grateful. She looked over to Wes who was rubbing his thigh. "You alright?"

"Those Imperial Guards are pretty tough," he said. "I thought working as a Silver Guardian would keep me used to this Ranger stuff, but it really doesn't. I kind of wish I had that fancy animal spirit you Jungles have."

"You do," Lily chuckled. "Maybe when this is all over with, you can stop by the Pai Zhuq. I can probably convince Casey to give you a couple one on one lessons."

"Sounds like a plan," Wes smiled and then pointed to his hair, "Uh, you've got a bit of... is that glitter?"

Lily touched her head and then nodded as she brushed it out. Wes chuckled. "We're fighting an invasion on a global scale and you're doing what? Kicking back at Barbie's Malibu Beach house?"

"I wish," Lily muttered. "Strip club."

"Aw, what?" Eric asked as he walked into the base, followed closely by his wife Taylor who swat him on the back of the head. "Ow! Hey, I was just asking."

"Some people were trapped inside," Lily said. "I couldn't just leave them there."

"So, how did glitter end up in your hair?"

"One guy tried to thank me with a lap dance," Lily muttered and then shivered. "The most uncomfortable rescue I've ever had to do."

"Oh, a male strip club?" Eric shook his head and walked to the table, where bottles of water had been left so the Rangers could drink something as they returned. "Never mind. That's not as exciting."

"Excuse my idiot husband," Taylor said to Lily, "He's been sleeping on the couch for the last little while."

"Little while? Do I have to remind you I got a dangerous criminal off the streets and..."

"Used Joey to do it? Almost got him killed? Or how about recruiting two kids, one of them being blind, to work undercover to take down said dangerous criminal."

"Hey! The one who wasn't blind was a Power Ranger!"

"Yellow," Taylor said to Lily. The cheetah Ranger hissed.

"Ooh, bad move, Eric," she shook her head. "You don't mess with a yellow Ranger, especially when you're married to one."

"Yeah, I learned that the hard way," Eric muttered. He took a seat beside Wes, who gave him a gentle slap on the back.

"All in the line of duty, right?"

There wasn't time to answer. The door to the base opened again and this time it wasn't a Ranger who came in. Little footsteps were heard rushing down to the room followed by a loud cry.

"Mommy!"

Lily recognized the voice immediately and jumped out of her bean bag to catch her daughter in her arms. She held her close.

"Ava? What are you doing here? Gramps..."

"Don't do this, mommy," Ava grabbed her mother tightly. "Don't die! You can't die!"

"Ava, I... Kitten, everything's going to be okay," Lily assured her daughter. She carried her over to the bean bag and sat her down on her lap. "Mommy and daddy just have to help some friends..."

"You're not helping friends! You're fighting scary monsters! Monsters that are going to kill you! Gramps says the Rangers are stupid for fighting back! He says you're all going to die! I ran away! You have to come home!"

"The joys of keeping your identity secret from your parents," Lily muttered to the other Rangers in the room. She shifted her daughter so she could look her in the eyes, "Kitten, the Power Rangers are strong. You know that."

"Nothing's going to happen to your mother," Wes promised her. "We Rangers stick together. No man left behind."

"I don't want you to die, mommy. I love you," Ava cried and buried her face in her mother's chest. Lily didn't know what to say and she wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her comfortingly. She would do all she could to come home to her, but that wasn't a promise she could make. Their upcoming war was dangerous, and though the Rangers were a powerful force, there was no telling for sure how the war would end. In fact, when Tommy had first talked to the Rangers about getting back in the spandex to help the Megaforce team, he had said he expected there to be casualties.

"I love you too, Kitten," Lily whispered and kissed the top of her head.


	57. Someplace Safe To Hide

Gia thought that after nearly two years of being able to teleport, she would know how to stick the landing. But after the white Samurai Ranger had rescued her from death, she hit the floor hard. But she didn't complain. She was grateful to be alive. She had a quick look around and recognized the Shiba House. She had been a couple of times before and knew it was a safe place even in the middle of this invasion. She smiled and then her eyes fell on the Ranger who saved her. Serena powered down and rolled her eyes.

"You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

"How did you know?" Gia asked. Serena chuckled.

"This Mavro guy's taken over every TV station in the State," Serena offered her hand and helped Gia up to her feet before she started to walk to the kitchen. "You hungry?"

"Starved," Gia nodded. "Where's everyone else?"

"Dr. Oliver recruited them," Serena said. "Something about getting ready for the biggest fight of our lives and protecting everyone on Earth from the invasion."

"Why didn't you go with them?"

Serena offered Gia the leftover slices of pizza and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, and leave you to die for the whole world to see? I went with them, but when TJ turned on the TV, rescuing you seemed a little more important. Besides, I still have my powers and I know that when it comes time for us to help, I've got to kick the ugly aliens' asses and avoid hurting Rangers. What else is there?"

"Strategies? Plans? A huge entrance?"

"Um, my entrance was amazing," Serena smirked and gestured to Gia. "I'm the Ranger who just saved another Ranger from execution in the blink of an eye. I dare Dr. Oliver to top that one."

"Something tells me he will."

"Yeah. But screw him. I'll bask in my glory while I've got it," Serena said. She then chuckled when she saw the disgusted look on Gia's face after the yellow Ranger took her first bite of pizza.

"What the hell is in this?"

"Sorry. My brother in-law's a nutcase."

"Are these pickles?" Gia asked as she inspected her slice. Serena nodded her head.

"I'm actually surprised there is leftover pizza. He's improving."

Gia made another face and pushed away the pizza. Despite being hungry, she had lost her appetite. Serena walked around the counter and sat on the barstool beside her.

"So, lose your morpher again or what?"

Gia rolled her eyes, "It's in the ocean."

"Well, that's a great place to keep it."

"Our other morphers don't work. The keys are stone and since the Sky Ship crashed, everything's offline. Tensou's trying to fix it now but... it's a lot to do."

"Where have you been staying?"

"Home," Gia muttered. "Until..."

"The Imperial Guards?"

"There's a hole in my kitchen," Gia nodded her head. "I don't even know about the others, what happened to them. I don't even know if..."

Gia looked down at her hands and clenched her fists. Serena wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, it's going to be fine. I'm sure your friends..."

"I'm sure they're fine too," Gia nodded. "It's Tiger."

"Tiger? Tigerzord? Your Tiger Spirit? What tiger are we talking about?"

"My cub."

"Cub?" Serena frowned. "What?"

"She's my tiger spirit's second life. She sacrificed herself to help my friends and I escape the Armada and Emma's Huang thought the sacrifice was so selfless she let my spirit be reborn as a real tiger cub. She's my cub, Serena and they..."

Gia looked up at Serena, teary eyes and shook her head. She placed her hand over her heart and gripped her shirt tightly, "They hurt her. I felt her pain, just like I did when she died as my spirit. They called her a mutant! They're using her to send a message to the others! Serena, they killed her! I know it!"

"Gia..."

"I promised I'd keep her safe. I promised I'd look after her! She's my cub! My life! My..."

"Shh," Serena held Gia in her arms and gently rocked her to sooth her. "It's going to be okay. We'll make them pay, I promise."

-Megaforce-

"Tiger, I know you hate it, but please," Emma begged the cub as she held out Tiger's collar and leash. Everyone was getting ready to leave the Moran home. It was no longer a safe place to hide out now that the Imperial Guards knew it was where they could find the Rangers. If they wanted to stay long enough to stop the Invasion and for the other Rangers to turn up to help them in whatever way they could, they had to get somewhere safer.

"If you think getting her collar on is going to be tough, imagine putting her costume on," Jordan pointed out as he held up the yellow Ranger cat costume. Emma shook her head.

"Everyone knows who the yellow Ranger is now. Besides, Tiger's getting a bit too big for it now."

"But Jake said..."

"Anything Ranger related will only draw more attention. If people know who Gia is, they might put the pieces together about us. Tiger's better off just being a tiger on a leash than an overgrown cat in a Ranger costume."

"Good point," Jordan nodded and tossed the costume over his shoulder. Emma turned back to Tiger and tried to buckle her collar around her neck. Tiger protested with a gentle but firm bite to Emma's hand.

"OW! Tiger, please, it's just to keep you safe. You're just like Gia when it comes to running off. We can't let anything..." Emma trailed off when she saw the way Tiger looked at her when she mentioned Gia's name. She sighed and scratched the cub behind the ears, "We'll see her soon, alright. But until then, you've got to let me put on the collar and leash."

Emma tried again. Tiger snapped again. The pink Ranger rolled her eyes and looked up at Jordan, desperate he knew how to help. He shrugged, and then jumped back when Emma started to glow. Her Huang emerged from her body and landed between her and Tiger.

"Phoenix," Emma said, "Can you please explain to Tiger we've got to put the collar on?"

The bird nodded and then pecked Tiger on the top of the head. The cat jumped back then lowered herself into a submissive stance, like she had just been scolded. The Huang pecked her again. Emma grabbed her bird while Jordan laughed.

"Hey, that's how Gia learns too."

The Huang retreated back into Emma's body and the pink Ranger, nervously, tried again to get the collar on the cat. Tiger growled as the collar approached her neck, but didn't bite Emma's hand. Emma buckled it on so it was snug but not too tight and then clipped the leash.

"She's just like Gia," Jordan commented.

"Too much so for her own good," Emma agreed. She rose to her feet and turned around to see the others were ready. Rebecca had a bag packed. Emma knew it was full of canned food, some extra clothes she had to borrow from hers and Gia's closets and a first aid kit. Claire had Ryan's stroller and the diaper bag. Vanessa had another bag packed full of clothes, food, water bottles and two first aid kits. The Rangers tried to convince her to carry a lighter load, but she insisted she needed to bring as much as possible to look after herself and the team. Jordan had his own bag packed, with his own first aid kit, clothes and food.

The Rangers were also carrying their bags, but they weren't taking as much. They were going into hiding and planning to do so only until Tensou had a new weapon or powers for them. They hoped it would only be a couple more days and didn't want to wear themselves out with a heavy load.

"I've tried calling around my old office," Claire announced. "No one's answering the phone. I doubt anyone's heading into work anymore. We can hide out there for now."

"How's Gia going to find us?" Vanessa asked. Claire took her hand and squeezed it.

"I'm hoping on the way, we'll find her. It's about an hour's walk, and now that they've lost Gia, Emperor Mavro's guys are bound to be pissed. We've got to move fast and keep quiet."

As soon as she said it, Ryan started to fuss. She pulled on the straps that kept her secure in her stroller. She was tired of moving around. Everyone was, but they had to go. Claire took LT out from the diaper bag and gave it to the little girl. Ryan clutched her toy like her life depended on it.

The Rangers left through the back door. Imperial Guards were still watching the streets, though not as closely now that Gia was on the run. They were so focused on looking for her that it gave the Rangers the perfect chance to sneak out.

Although, when they were only a few houses down, they heard an explosion. It shook the ground, knocking some of the Rangers off their feet. Tiger pulled on her leash as she tried to run, but Emma held tight and Jake grabbed her collar. Ryan started to cry loudly. Troy took her in his arms and hoped he could sooth her quickly.

Vanessa got to her feet and turned around. Where her house had been standing was now completely flat. Everything about her home was gone.

"We've got to keep going," Claire said. "It's just a house."

Vanessa's eyes watered. It wasn't just a house.

"_Are you ready?"_ Joe asked Vanessa and placed his hands over her eyes as he walked her up to the front door of their new home. Vanessa tried to shake him off.

"_Joe, I'm holding the baby."_

"_I won't let you trip,"_ he assured her. He kept one hand over her eyes and used the other to open the front door. He carefully guided his wife into the house. _"Ta-da!" _he announced proudly and pulled his hand away. Vanessa looked around in complete awe. The home she and her husband had purchased only days before seemed completely furnished. She couldn't tell just by standing in the hallway, but from what she could see of the living room, there was a couch, a coffee table, a TV, and even a little toy box for their daughter. In the kitchen, she could see the toaster, the bread box, a spice rack, and half of the kitchen table and two chairs.

"_Joe..."_

"_Jeff and some buddies from work helped out," _he explained to his wife and then took baby Gia from her arms so she could look around. _"I really wanted you to have a home to come to when you left the hospital."_

Joe then took his wife's hand and walked her into the living room. He pointed to the blanket draped over the side of the couch, _"There's the blanket your mother knit. I figured we could leave it there for those cold nights."_

"_Is that the picture your father painted?"_ Vanessa asked and pointed to the piece of art hanging over the couch. Joe nodded.

"_It's all here,"_ he said. _"Oh, and just wait until you see the nursery."_

"_You finished the nursery? But Joe..."_

"_I promise, I didn't overspend. Not that it's possible to spoil our baby girl," _Joe said and smiled as her looked down at his sleeping daughter. _"Tim from accounting's daughter just moved into a bed. Her crib was still in good condition and his wife said they weren't having anymore kids. He paid me twenty bucks to move it out of his garage."_

"_Really?"_

"_Hey, I pick up his coffee every morning," _Joe chuckled. _"Mom gave me her old rocking chair from when I was a baby and... there's no changing table now, but Jeff and Claire still haven't bought us a baby gift."_

"_They're Gia's godparents. They're going to put in enough work helping us,"_ Vanessa rolled her eyes. _"Besides, they've got their own baby on the way."_

"_I guess that's a good point. Still, if they ask, that's what we need,"_ Joe smiled. He cradled Gia in one arm and took his wife's hand with the other, _"So, did I do good?"_

"_You did perfect," _Vanessa smiled and kissed him. _"Can you believe it? We own this place. We bought a house."_

"_Technically, the bank still own it but... it's ours. It's our nice little nest for Gia to grow up in."_

"Come on Vanessa," Claire's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Vanessa wiped her eyes and shook her head.

"It's not just a house," she said. Claire sighed.

"Can we talk about this later? The Imperial Guards must be close now. We've got to move."

"Claire..."

"Gia's still out there," Claire grabbed her girlfriend and looked her in the eyes. "You haven't lost everything yet."

Vanessa shakily nodded her head, wiped her eyes and again and followed Claire and the Rangers down the street, moving a little faster now that they feared the Imperial Guards were coming after them.


	58. The Ranger's Safe House

It was well into the evening when the Rangers made it to Claire's old workplace. No one else was there, making it the perfect place for the Rangers to hide. Jake smashed a window in the back and one by one, they climbed inside.

It was an office building, not a home. There were no beds or couches to sleep on. Just desks, chairs, and office supplies. There was a working bathroom and kitchen, but that was the most the Rangers got.

"How long do we hide out here?" Rebecca asked as she wrapped her arms around herself. Noah pulled her in closer.

"Until we have reason to believe the Imperial Guards know where we are."

"Or until Tensou gets us some upgrades," Troy told her.

"It's cold in here," Rebecca sighed. Vanessa reached into her bag and pulled out a blanket. She offered it to Rebecca.

"I'll get started on dinner," Claire announced and stepped inside her old break room, taking her bag with her. Orion said he was going to help and followed her. The boys and Rebecca got to work setting up a place to sleep. Emma took Tiger off her leash and let her curl up with Ryan on the floor. Then she walked over to Vanessa and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry about the house," she whispered. Vanessa looked to Emma and put her arms around her.

"We had a lot of memories there, didn't we?"

"We still have memories," Emma smiled. She took her bag off her shoulders and pulled out a photo album. "I couldn't leave them all behind. You can keep it."

Vanessa hugged the album close to her chest and then pulled Emma back into her arms and kissed the top of her head.

"I know I haven't been much help lately..."

"No one expects you to be," Emma shook her head. "We all know you worry about Gia."

"Your parents are all worried about you. I'm not..."

"You've already lost Joe," Emma said. "Gia's all you've got left and we're not exactly sure where she is or if she's still okay."

"She's not all I've got," Vanessa looked to Emma. The pink Ranger smiled up at her.

"We'll bring her home. I promise. Just... try not to worry. And don't push yourself too much. You're not our biggest problem. Right now, that's Ryan."

Vanessa sighed as she looked to the little girl she and Claire had just agreed to foster after the war. She nodded her head.

"I don't blame her."

"Neither do I," Emma nodded. "But we're all going to be fine. We've just got to lay low for now. Keep the bad guys thinking they're got the advantage. We know Tensou's going to pull through for us at some point. If we can hold out until then, Mavro and his aliens won't know what hit them."

"I hope so," Vanessa said.

-Megaforce-

"_Could this really be the end of the Power Rangers? Stay tune for more information as the Emperor's Imperial Guards search for the dead bodies or remains of our planet's..."_

Gia frowned as the radio she was listening to suddenly shut off. She looked up at Serena with a glare.

"I was listening to that."

"Your friends are fine."

"Mavro just blew up my house! The house I know my friends were staying in!"

"Have they found dead bodies?"

"Everything blew up! You're not going to find much of anything!"

"Gia..."

"Serena, we need to get out there. We need to start fighting back now!"

"With what powers?"

"Teach me Symbol Power," Gia said. "I was a land brother. I had the land power cards. Dustin gave me some training lessons in the way of the Earth Ninja. I can learn your power symbols."

"Not in time," Serena shook her head. "Look, kid, we've just got to lay low for now until we can..."

"Until Mavro's wipes out our entire fucking planet just like he did to Andrasia and every other planet his army's invaded?"

"Until the former Rangers find a way to restore their powers, and you have powers you can use. You go running into any fight right now, in your condition, and you're only going to wind up back in downtown Harwood ready for execution. And this time, it'll be for real."

Gia growled, grabbed her hair and fell back into the couch. Serena sat down next to her.

"It's tough," she said. "But we're in the final battle. It's only going to get worse before it gets better. Trust me, kid. I've been there."

"But I don't get why we've got to stay here," Gia pointed around the room. "What good are we here? We're not helping my friends. You won't take me to the former Rangers."

"You're the most wanted person on the planet right now," Serena said. "I'm not leading the entire invasion to the one location where all the former Rangers have gathered."

"What about my friends? Serena, what if something's happened to them? What if that explosion..."

"If they're dead, there's nothing you can do for them," Serena stated. Gia started to sob right when she heard that and turned away from Serena. The white Ranger pulled her into her arms, "If they're alive, they're somewhere safe. They're keeping a low profile. We don't know where that is and we can't draw attention to ourselves. You can't go back to the city."

"Serena, please," Gia looked at the white Ranger pleadingly. Her face was soaked with tears, her eyes were full of pain and worry. Serena tried to turn away but Gia grabbed her hands desperately. "I need my family, Serena."

"You'll be recognized by everyone..."

"I'll wear a disguise."

"Gia, I..."

"Serena, please!" Gia begged tearfully. Serena sighed and then got up. Gia started to sob louder, thinking Serena had refused her completely. However, Serena was back minutes later with a change of clothes and a cowboy hat.

"Those are my clothes from when I visit my family farm. And yes, I do actually wear the hat."

"What is...?"

"Get changed. I'll do your make-up once you're dressed. Then you'll wear the hat. You wear it low. Make it difficult to see your face."

"You mean..."

"We'll try to find your friends," Serena nodded. "But I can't promise we will. We're hiding, they're hiding. By nature, this game of hide and go seek is complicated."

Gia nodded and head and practically flew out of the living room and down to Serena's bedroom to get changed. When she came out, Serena smiled. She fixed up Gia's hat so it was hard to catch a good view of her face with a quick glance and then started to apply make up to her face.

"Is this really going to work?" Gia asked.

"Make up can take you pretty far when you do it right," Serena nodded. "My students put on a play at the end of the year. I successfully turned one boy into a girl. After the performance, his make-up was so good he was hit on by five other male students before someone realized he was a boy."

"How did you get so good?"

"I was terminally ill for a long time before my parents found out," Serena said. "Trust me, if I can turn a boy into a very attractive young woman, and I can make my pale, sick, deathly looking face appear strong and healthy, I can make you unrecognizable."

Serena finished with a few touch up around Gia's eyes, readjusted the cowboy hat and the smiled at her work. "Well, are you sure you aren't mine and Emily's third sister?"

"Pretty sure," Gia nodded.

Serena smiled, pulled out her Samuraizer and held Gia's hand, "I can teleport us into the city. Though teleportation is a little wearing, so we're going to have to take it easy. Not to mention, we can't make a scene. Just, stick close to me."

Gia nodded her head and closed her eyes as Serena traced the symbol. Gia felt sick to her stomach for a moment before it passed. When she looked down, she found herself in Harwood County High. The school was completely abandoned, making it feel eerie. Gia pulled in closer to Serena, who rubbed her head.

"Teleporting twice in one day... no matter how long you train, that's never not hard," Serena shook her head, knowing she didn't have much time to waste. She smiled at Gia, "Think your team could be somewhere here?"

"Only one way to find out," Gia said and opened the door to the nearest classroom.


	59. The Couples' Plan

"For an invasion, it sure is quiet at night," Jordan whispered softly as he and Emma sat outside. They were leaning against the wall of her mother's old office and sitting right under the window Jake had broken. They were on watch to keep an eye out for anyone they couldn't trust. At this time, that was pretty much everyone.

Emma looked up at the sky sadly. There were no stars, only space ships from Mavro's fleet.

"If we're the Rangers and we're not fighting back, who's going to be stupid enough to try?" Emma sighed. "I hope Tensou brings us some good news soon."

"You know what would be amazing news? Mavro just decides Earth's not worth it anymore and leaves."

"To conquer another planet? Harm more innocent people?"

"Wow, your humanitarianism is pretty depressing tonight," Jordan said. "I was just saying."

"I'm sorry," Emma whispered. She moved in a little closer to Jordan and sighed again. He looked down at her.

"What?"

"When Tensou does come back," she said. "We can't be together."

"Why not?"

"Same reason as before."

"Emma, this is the end of the world. Either we win together or we lose together. There's no more running away."

"Either I'm guaranteed to come home to you, or I don't want to come home at all," Emma shook her head. "Jordan, if you stay with us, you're easy prey. I don't want to win without you."

"I don't want to run away again. Odds are, someone's not making it out alive, and if that someone's you, I don't want to be miles away hiding like a coward, I..."

Jordan trailed off when Emma pulled in closer to him and started to sob. He wrapped his arms around her. "Emma? Em, I'm sorry. I didn't... You know I believe in you. You know I have every faith you'll come home. It's just..."

"You're scared?" Emma looked up at him teary eyed. Jordan nodded his head. Emma sighed, "Me too. I don't... I don't want to die."

"You won't," Jordan hugged her warmly as fresh tears filled his eyes. He kissed the top of her head, "You're the good guy, Emma. Good guys always make it back home."

"You believe that?" Emma asked. Jordan nodded, but a tear ran down his cheek.

-Megaforce-

"I thought your red Ranger was your favourite," Noah commented as he pulled Rebecca in closer. They had made a bed for themselves under a desk and were trying to get some sleep. However, both were too worried to close their eyes. Rebecca had the blue Super Megaforce action figure in her hands, and was quietly playing around, pretending he was shooting at invisible monsters with his blaster.

"He was," she said. "I packed him too. I packed them all."

"How did you find room?"

"There's always room for my Ranger collection," Rebecca said. "But now Blue's my favourite. You know why, right?"

"Because of this?" he asked and leaned in to kiss her. Rebecca chuckled but shook her head.

"No. Because, even after what happened with my eyes, he makes me feel safe," she said. She lowered her toy's blaster and turned to Noah slightly. "I'm here, hiding in an abandoned office, sleeping on the floor under a desk while the world as we know it is slowly being destroyed. My life's in danger, I don't have all my senses in case I get in trouble and... I feel safe."

"I make you feel safe?"

"Well, I mean, I could feel a little better," Rebecca shrugged. "But yeah. You make me feel safe. And when you have to leave to fight, this guy's the closest thing I have to you. You know, as long as I don't confuse him with another Ranger. Dolphin Senses don't help me distinguish colour."

Noah chuckled. "It's the intention that counts. But what makes you think I'm going to leave?"

"I can hear Emma and Jordan talking," Rebecca said. "She told him that once Tensou gives you guys some power, us non Rangers are going to have to go into hiding while you fight."

"Rebecca..."

"I think it's a good idea. It's not that I want to leave you, it's just..."

"You don't want to die?"

"I don't want you to lose. Or Troy," Rebecca said. "You both really care about me, right? If something happened to kill me in this final stretch, you'll be devastated, right?"

"Of course," Noah nodded. Rebecca snuggled up closer to him.

"It's not... it's not that I'm being selfish. I just... I don't want you guys to feel like that. Especially after a win. I want you to be able to celebrate. I want you guys happy. If that means I have to leave for now, I'll do it."

Rebecca lay her head down on Noah's chest, "But I want you to know, even when I do have to leave you and hide, I'm still here. I'm rooting you on. And... and if anything does happen to you and... and we don't see each other again... You... You know I love you, right?"

"I know it," Noah nodded and kissed her head. "And if god-forbid anything happens to you..."

"Nothing will," Rebecca shook her head. "I'll be the best damn hider. I'll be the Orion of Earth if I have to. I'll stay alive until you find me, or until I know you're dead."

"Rebecca, don't..."

"If we lose," Rebecca clarified. "If we win, I'll... I'll have Ryan to look after and the other Rangers and... that stuff. But know my life will suck horribly without you in it."

"We're going to be fine," Noah assured her with another kiss.


	60. Rangers Reunited

Gia had searched her school, the mall, the park, and everywhere she could think of for her friends to hide. And every time a place came up empty, she worried more that her friends were gone. She searched all night with Serena but when morning came, Serena was about ready to call it quits.

"Just because we haven't found them, doesn't mean they aren't alive," she said. She sat down on the street curb and put her arm around the yellow Ranger. Gia pulled away angrily. Serena knew not to take it personally. Gia had every right to be upset.

"Leave me alone."

"I can't do that, kid," Serena shook her head. She reached into her bag and offered Gia a snack. "Eat up. You need your strength."

Gia refused it, "They're gone. Tiger's dead, my friends are gone. Everyone... Mavro won."

"You're exhausted, Gia," Serena said. "Eat up. We'll find somewhere safe to rest and we can continue looking tonight."

Gia shook her head, tossed her snack across the street and started to sob. Serena wrapped her arms around the yellow Ranger and pulled her in close.

"Shh. It's hard. I know it's hard, but we can't give up," Serena reassured her before she heard something coming down the street. She looked up and saw several of the Imperial Guards making their way around. She pulled on Gia's arm, "Kid, get up. We've got to go, now!"

Hearing the urgency in Serena's voice, Gia did look up. As soon as she saw the Imperial Guards she knew it was time to leave. She got to her feet with Serena, but it was already too late. The Guards had spotted them and swarmed them.

"What are you doing on the streets?" one of them asked. Gia pulled in closer to Serena and prayed her disguise worked. Though she felt miserable, she didn't want to be executed. She needed to get answers. She needed to find her friends, her mother, and Jake.

"We were just..." Serena started but a Guard smashed his baton into the side of her head. Serena hit the ground and Gia let out a cry.

"You are to remain in your homes until the emperor has decided what he wants to do with you!" the Guard shouted. "Any and all violators will be subject to punishment."

A couple of Guards grabbed a dazed Serena and lifted her up. They held her arms while a third one started to smack her with his baton. Gia tried to jump in to stop them, but three more Guards did the same to her. Gia felt every blow against her head, chest, stomach and legs until she could no longer stand on her own and blacked out. The Guards let her fall to the ground and two more grabbed her by the leg and dragged her and Serena down a nearby alley and threw them into a pile of dead bodies.

When Gia came to, she felt something cool and wet touch her forehead. She opened her eyes with a painful groan and saw a battered and bruised Serena looking down at her. Serena breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Gia was awake.

"You scared the shit out of me," she said and pulled the yellow Ranger into her arms. Gia moaned in pain again. "Sorry," Serena chuckled.

She lay Gia back down gently and then offered her a bottle of water. She propped Gia's head up carefully and helped her drink it.

"Those Imperial Guards really know how to give a beating, huh?"

"My round two," Gia muttered. "Not to mention my headache from Vrak is still lingering."

"See, kid, this is why I worry about you," Serena said. She took a sip of water and then put the bottle back in her bag. Carefully, she helped Gia sit up. "You're just as stupid and reckless as me."

"I've smartened up," Gia muttered and rubbed her head. It was only then she noticed where she and Serena were standing. A dead pile of bodies towered over her. Gia let out a cry, fell backwards and looked up in horror. Serena pulled her up and dragged her back out into the street, but made sure they were covered by an abandoned car.

"Shh. Shh, it's okay."

"Serena..."

"It's okay," Serena hugged the yellow Ranger. "This happens in every city for every final battle. Panorama lost half its population when Master Xandred surfaced. What's important is we're still alive. We can still fight back."

Gia clutched onto the white Ranger desperately and buried her face in her shoulder. Serena rubbed her back and glanced up and down the street. They needed somewhere else to hide. Seeing an office building not too far off, Serena knew that was a safe place. The Guard had beaten her and Gia for not being home. She could assume all commercial buildings had either been purged by the Guards, or abandoned once the invasion started.

"How's your head?" Serena whispered.

"Sore."

"Can you walk?"

Gia nodded. Serena took her hand, checked both sides of the street and when she was sure the coast was clear, she started to run. Gia was right behind her, and though she struggled to keep up, she was desperate for a safe place and pushed herself to keep going. When they arrived at the door, Serena smashed the window and unlocked it from the inside before she let Gia in. Gia practically dropped to the floor but at least she was safe. Serena helped her move away from the door and then knelt in front of her. She reached into her bag and pulled out her first aid kit.

"We're going to have to stay here for a bit," she told Gia. "We both took a pretty bad beating, but given what happened before I got to you; I don't want to take any chances."

"My friends..."

"It's going to have to wait," Serena whispered. "Gia one more beating like that, not even, and you might never wake up."

"Serena..."

"That's final," Serena stated firmly. She and Gia seemed to be in a waiting room. There were a few chairs and a couch nearby. Serena grabbed one of the pillows from the couch and placed it under the yellow Ranger's head. "I know it's tough, but just try and relax. Your friends are fine."

"What if they're in a body pile?" Gia asked. Serena shook her head.

"They aren't."

"But Serena..."

"They aren't," Serena assured her. She kissed Gia's forehead and then traced a Symbol on her chest. Gia's eyes closed and her breathing slowed. Serena started to breathe heavily. She was exhausted, and performing the heal Symbol had only drained her more, but she had to do it. If only one of them could survive it needed to be Gia.

While Gia rested, Serena looked around the room. She had to figure out what she had. Gia's recovery was likely going to be a while. She barely had time to look around before she noticed a door open. Her heart stopped and she stood defensively over Gia's body. In her state, and with Gia completely out of it, there was no more running away.

Fortunately, Serena didn't need to run. When the door opened it was a familiar face.

"Troy?"

"Serena?"

Almost as soon as her name was spoken, the rest of the Megaforce Rangers burst out of the back room. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Serena standing over Gia. Their hearts caught in their throat. Serena realized what it must have looked like to them and held up her hands.

"She's not dead, I swear."

"What... happened?" Jake asked. He approached his fiancée hesitantly and took her hand. Gia didn't respond to his touch at all.

"We ran into Guards. My disguise worked. They didn't seem to recognize her, but they sure know how to use those batons," Serena muttered. "She's hurt pretty bad, but she was conscious until I used the heal Symbol. It'll be a day or so before she wakes up if..."

Serena trailed off as Vanessa walked up to her and gave her a firm hug. Serena chuckled nervously and pat her back as Vanessa sobbed into her shoulder.

"I know the feeling," Serena chuckled. "Sorry about the bruises on you daughter, by the way. But she is alive. And once she wakes up, she'll be good as new."

Vanessa smiled at Serena then pulled away and kissed her cheek. Serena squeezed her hand and turned back to Gia. She noticed Emma sitting near her best friend and holding back a large tiger cub who didn't seem to understand she needed to be very gentle. Serena frowned deeply, "Okay, either I took a stronger hit to the head than I thought, or Gia was serious when she said she had a tiger."

"This is Tiger," Emma explained as she had to wrestle with what sounded like a crying tiger cub to keep her hurting Gia further. "Gia's animal spirit turned into a real tiger. They share a very close bond."

"As you can tell," Jake chuckled. He grabbed Tiger's collar to help Emma pull the cat away. "Fortunately, she hasn't reached maturity yet. If she was any bigger, we'd be in serious trouble."

"So, Gia literally owns a pet tiger?" Serena shook her head. "Okay, now I've seen it all."


	61. A Happy Awakening

Two days passed. The Rangers were fortunately enough that either Mavro believed they were dead and so didn't bother looking for them, or he hadn't yet figured out where they were hiding. Having to live in an abandoned office was far from comfortable, but if it kept them safe, no one was complaining, and now that the Rangers were all reunited, no one could be happier unless they actually saved the world.

But that was still a long way from happening. The Rangers didn't give up hope. The office had an open basement, which the Rangers used to train. They preferred their old training grounds at the command center, and even their deck on the Sky Ship, but this would do for their current situation.

While the Rangers, including Rebecca and Jordan trained, the mothers were in the lunch room preparing a snack. There wasn't much to eat. Everyone could only afford two meals a day and a little something to eat after training, but it kept them from feeling too hungry and kept the Ranger's energy levels up.

Serena, meanwhile, was sitting in the waiting room. Coincidentally, she was waiting for something. Two days had passed since she had put Gia under the healing Symbol. While there was nothing unusual there, Serena was hoping Gia would wake up soon for morale. The Rangers were doing better now that they had their yellow Ranger and captain back, but seeing her up on her feet would do wonders for them.

There wasn't much to do in the old office building. Serena was staring up at the ceiling tiles, counting the numbers of spots which turned out to be a much harder job than she anticipated, but it kept her busy until she noticed Gia stir. She removed the healing Symbol so Gia would have an easier time waking.

"Shh," she soothed her, knowing that after such a long and deep rest, Gia would likely be disoriented and scared. "You're okay. It's just me."

"What happened?"

"We're safe," Serena assured her. Gia frowned.

"Safe?"

"Well, somewhat," Serena helped Gia sit up and offered her some water. The Symbol, by nature, kept her from starving or dehydrating, but her mouth had to be dry. Gia accepted the water and practically finished the bottle with a gulp. Serena chuckled, "There's more in the kitchen, if you'd like."

"I'm good," Gia shook her head and then realized it wasn't pounding. It was something of a strange feeling after having lived so many days with a constant headache. She frowned. "What happened to me?"

"A lot of good things."

"I doubt it," Gia muttered. It was then the door opened. Claire stepped into the room.

"Serena, I know you said she wouldn't need food until she woke up but do you have any idea if that'll be soon?" Claire asked without taking a moment to look directly at Serena and instead was trying to decided which loaf of bread needed to be eaten first. Gia heard her voice though and bounced up to her feet.

"Claire!"

Claire dropped both loaves of bread when she heard Gia's voice and caught her in a tight hug.

"You're okay?" she asked. Gia nodded her head.

Suddenly, Vanessa rushed into the room. She had her doubts it was true, but she thought she heard her daughter's voice. When she saw Gia was in fact up and in Claire's arms, Vanessa shoved her girlfriend out of the way to hug her daughter. Gia didn't mind at all that her hug with Claire had been interrupted, but Claire stumbled slightly and huffed when she caught her balance. Serena chuckled.

"I did the same thing to James when Terran came home from preschool," she said. "Don't take it personally."

"You little terror," Vanessa said to Gia as she cupped her daughter's face in her hands and then pulled her in for another hug. "You had me worried sick!"

"I love you," Gia whispered in her mother's ear. Vanessa smiled, squeezed her daughter and kissed the top of her head. She wanted to be able to enjoy having her daughter back in her arms for a little longer, but she heard someone coming up from the basement. One look to the stairs told Vanessa to quickly get out of the way.

"Gia!" Emma cried out happily as she raced over to her best friend and tackle-hugged her. Gia caught Emma just in time but they both crashed to the floor. Neither seemed to notice though as they hugged tightly. "You're okay!"

"Me?" Gia pulled away from Emma and frowned. "I heard the house blew up! How are you...? Is everyone... did you all...?"

"We just decided to leave when it happened," Emma said. "We were just a few houses down. No one was hurt, fortunately."

"So that means..." Gia trailed off and looked up as the door opened again. This time, Jake darted in. He shoved Emma out of his way, dropped down and wrapped Gia up tightly in his arms and never wanted to let go.

"You're lucky I'm such an understanding person," Emma muttered to Jake as she straightened out her shirt and her mother helped her up. Claire sighed.

"I know what you mean."

Jake pulled away from Gia to look her in the eyes. He held her face softly, smiled, and pulled her in for a kiss. Gia wrapped her arms around his neck and couldn't get happier.

But she was quickly proven wrong. She heard a grunt, one she assumed belonged to Troy but never bothered to check because it was immediately followed by a sound that both stopped her heart and made it flutter. She pulled away from Jake, looked to the door and saw Tiger desperately trying to break away from Troy, Noah, Rebecca, and Orion to get to her. Gia's eyes immediately filled with tears as she opened her arms wide. Troy let go of Tiger's collar and the cat jumped into her mistress' arms. Normally, because of her expected size, Tiger was discouraged from leaping on people, but today she got a pass. She pounced into Gia's arms and licked her face as Gia cuddled her lovingly.

"You're... you're alive?" Gia said as she tried to get a good look at her cub, but Tiger wasn't ready to leave Gia's arms. She wanted to stay as close as physically possible.

"The Imperial Guards brought her back," Emma explained while Gia continued to hug the large cat. "I've already looked at the burn on her shoulder. It doesn't seem to hold her back, as I'm sure you can tell."

"Yeah, I'm noticing," Gia chuckled. She had to wrestle with her cub to keep the cat from knocking her over and licking her to death. Tiger was enjoying every minute of being in Gia's arms, even when Gia had to grab her snout and force her mouth shut. "You, little monster, scared the life out of me!"

Tiger continued to try and get as close to Gia as possible. To the others, it looked like Tiger was trying to get inside their yellow Ranger. Gia laughed as she finally got Tiger to sit comfortably on her lap and then hugged her again, "Don't you ever, _ever_ scare me like that again. Got it, you little fur ball?"

"She literally has a tiger cub," Serena said with a shake of her head. She had known it for a couple of days now, but seeing the way Gia and Tiger were together still surprised her. "She's actually mothering an apex predator? For real?"

"You gave birth to a Nighlok baby," Troy stated. Serena rolled her eyes.

"That's different. Terran... well, he was a half-Nighlok. And we fixed that little detail. She's got a tiger for a baby!"

"It takes some getting used to," Rebecca agreed. "But when Tiger is to Gia as Gia is to all of us, it's kind of awesome."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked.

"Tiger isn't good with taking orders," Noah chuckled.

Serena nodded her head and sighed, "Yep. She's Gia's baby alright."


	62. Powered Up

The next couple of days were quiet for the Rangers as they tried to figure out what to do next. The whole team was back together and though they didn't have their full powers back, everyone had the feeling something was about to happen. Not to mention, with Serena by their side, they had a little extra hand in battles. It wasn't much, but the help of a former Ranger was something they were grateful for.

On this night, Gia was resting. Around her, her friends and family were tucked into whatever they could use for a bed, sound asleep. But she couldn't sleep. After everything she had seen in the city, she couldn't bring herself to close her eyes.

Tiger was curled up in her arms. She knew of the imminent threat and dared not leave Gia's side for a moment both day and night, but seemed blissfully unaware of just how big the invasion was. Gia knew her cub was dreaming and had to imagine it was a good dream of a better place and time. She kissed the top of Tiger's head and unfurled herself from her cat before she got up. She tucked her blankets around the cub and then slowly stepped outside. She looked up at the night sky but saw only space ships hovering over the city. It was only a day or so now before the invasion began. The aliens were waiting to make their final move. Gia sat down on the cold ground and tried to imagine stars in the place of the ships. She tried to imagine what the sky would have looked like without the threat of death.

"_Up there, you see those stars? That's Orion's Belt,"_ her father said and pointed up at the sky, in the direction Gia needed to look to see the stars. _"And the three stars that make up Orion's belt are called..."_

"_Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka,"_ Gia said with a smile and looked down at her father. He grabbed her under the arms and lifted her off his shoulders. He set her down with a smile.

"_You know that?"_

"_Emma left her books at home,"_ Gia nodded.

Joe smiled and sat down on the grass. He pulled his daughter down on his lap and then looked up at the sky again, _"Alright, smarty pants, what else do you know?"_

"_I know a lot, daddy," _Gia chuckled.

"_I know you do, but share something with me. Some fun facts."_

"_I have a lot of fun facts. What do you want to know about?"_

Her father stroked his chin thoughtfully, _"What did you learn in school today?"_

"_Nothing!"_ Gia groaned and fell back into her father. She rolled her eyes, _"Mrs. Smoulders counted to ten, sang the alphabet, and played a video about colours! What is this? Kindergarten?"_

"_It's exactly kindergarten,"_ Joe chuckled.

Gia shifted in her father's lap so she could look at him. She shook her head, _"Daddy, I know how to count to a hundred and beyond. I know the alphabet backwards, and I know my colours. Grass is green, the ocean is blue, the flowers are pink and purple and orange and yellow and..."_

"_What's your favourite colour?"_

"_You sound like Mrs. Smoulders,"_ Gia sighed.

"_You have always been pretty... special," _her father smiled and kissed her forehead. Gia looked up at him happily.

"_What makes me special, daddy?"_

"_Everything,"_ he smiled. _"Everything from your special, smarty pants brain, right down to your piggly wigglies."_

"_They're called toes, daddy."_

"_I call them piggly wigglies."_

"_Daddy, you're being silly,"_ Gia chuckled. Her father smirked.

"_Silly? Huh? I'm being silly?"_

"_Very!"_

"_Oh yeah? Well, is this silly?"_ he asked as he grabbed her and started tickling her. Gia let out a happy squeal as she tried to pull away.

"_Daddy!" _she laughed, _"Ah! Daddy, you're tickling me!"_

Gia could remember that night vividly, and in the silence of this night, she could hear the echoes of hers and her father's laughter. But they seemed distant, and not just because they were from years in the past. It seemed like long ago since she had heard real laughter. It seemed like an entire lifetime had passed since she had been able to feel at peace.

She closed her eyes and tried to put herself back in that memory just for tonight. She wanted to be able to feel at peace before the whole world was at war once more. She wanted to go back to a time where her biggest fear was ghosts and the dark. She wanted to go back to a time where her only concern was her parents not catching her and Emma playing after bedtime. She wanted to go back to a time where her only responsibility was having fun.

She was pulled from her thoughts too soon when she heard something down the street. She opened her eyes and looked out at what could possibly be getting closer. It looked like an Imperial Guard, and if so, she needed to get back inside quickly, except it was limping and looking around carefully like it didn't want to be seen.

Then, it tripped right in the middle of the street. Gia watched with a heavy frown as what appeared to be an Imperial Guard struggled to get back to its feet.

"Fucking thing," she heard it say and the voice sounded human. More so: female. Gia wasn't about to say none of the Imperial Guards were female, if gender was even the same for their species, but so far, she hadn't encountered one. Hesitantly, she rose to her feet and stepped out onto the street. Very carefully, she approached the struggling Guard.

"Are you... okay?" she whispered softly. The Guard looked up and gasped. Suddenly, it threw itself into Gia's arms. She screamed but the Guard covered her mouth.

"Shh! Gia, shh! It's me."

Gia recognized that voice and her eyes widened. She pulled away from the Guard and turned to her. She grimaced as the Guard removed her head.

"It's just me," Ms. Chesterfield said. The Imperial Guard's head came off like a mask. Somehow, Ms. Chesterfield was wearing its body as a costume. Gia didn't know how or why, but didn't care. All that mattered to her was seeing another friendly face. She hugged Ms. Chesterfield again.

"It's so good to see you," Ms. Chesterfield said with a sigh of relief. "All things considered, you're looking good."

"A lot of Ranger magic," Gia nodded her head. She pulled Ms. Chesterfield off the street and inside the building she and her friends were hiding out in. They were sleeping in the backroom so Gia stayed in the waiting room. She helped Ms. Chesterfield shed her Imperial Guard skin and then gave her one more hug. "What are you doing?"

Ms. Chesterfield smiled, "I was looking for you."

"If they saw you..."

"Why do you think I'm wearing this?" Ms. Chesterfield lifted the Guard's dead, gutted body. "Took me a day to figure out how to turn it into a suit, but it's gotten me this far. But I'm glad I found you."

"Me too," Gia smiled. "It's perfect. Mom, Claire, Rebecca and Jordan are going to be leaving for somewhere safer once we get our powers back."

"You mean these?" Ms. Chesterfield reached into her pockets and pulled out the Rangers' morphers and keys. Gia's jaw dropped as she picked up hers.

"How did you..."

"Tensou was on his way into town," Ms. Chesterfield explained. "He's got everything running again. At least, that's what he told me."

"Is he okay?" Gia asked worriedly as she looked around. "Is he with you? Why isn't he...?"

"He... the Imperial Guards... Gia, I don't know how to tell you this..."

"Where's Tensou?"

"Gia... Tensou didn't make it," Ms. Chesterfield shook her head sadly. She took Gia's hands, "We bumped into each other on the street. I was trying to make it out of town undetected, he was on his way back in. He almost rolled right past me but I recognized him. He had just enough time to tell me everything's working and he was on his way to find you when the Guards showed up."

"What did they do?"

"He gave me these," Mrs. Chesterfield held up the morphers and keys, "He told me to take them and run. He said you needed to have these at all costs. I thought he was right behind me but when I turned around... the Guards were tearing him apart."

"That's... that's why it's taking so long," Gia whispered. She looked down at her morpher as tears came to her eyes. "He's... he's gone?"

"Not quite," Ms. Chesterfield said. Gia's head snapped up. She looked to her former vice-principal hopefully. Ms. Chesterfield sighed, "Sorry, that's not... I meant, he'll live on. Through you, your powers, your weapons. He promised me everything was available. He told me you're back to full power. He even said there was a surprise waiting for you. It just needed a little more time to charge. I never got to ask him what. He did say to head to the command center."

"They killed Tensou?"

"Gia, I'm sorry," Ms. Chesterfield put her arms around Gia. The yellow Ranger shed a tear for her friend but then shook her head. She didn't have time to mourn. Not right now. She took the morphers and keys and burst into the back room. She flicked on the lights to wake everyone up. As they rose, she tossed them their morphers and keys.

"Where did you get this?" Troy asked before he recognized Ms. Chesterfield. He and the other Rangers jumped up to greet her. Rebecca and Jordan hung back with the mothers. If the Rangers had their full powers back, they knew it was time to go. Gia walked up to her mother.

"We'll get you outside of the city. Hopefully, the Imperial Guards are only patrolling the city. But that's as far as we can take you."

"We'll keep each other safe," Vanessa promised her daughter. "Don't worry about us. Just focus on the war."

"We're coming home," Gia smiled. She looked down at her morpher. Vanessa touched it sadly.

"I know it's our best chance," she said. "But a part of me wishes you didn't have this."

"I know," Gia nodded.

"Still, I believe in you," Vanessa pulled her daughter into her arms.

A little ways off, Emma picked up her morpher and then turned to Jordan. He looked to her sadly before he pulled her in for a kiss.

"If anyone can do it," he whispered to her, "It's you. Just... don't do anything stupid, alright?"

"That's not my department," Emma chuckled and with her head gestured to Gia. Jordan chuckled.

"Yeah, but together you two are a little... Just, be safe, alright? Kick ass and be safe. We've still got a wedding to plan. You promised me a wedding."

"I know," Emma smiled. She pulled Jordan in for one final kiss and then got up and walked to her mother. Claire crossed her arms over her chest and at first, refused a hug.

"I know it's my fault, but it's not fair," she said. "I just got you back and..."

"Mom, I'll be fine," Emma promised her, though she knew it wasn't a promise she could guarantee, nor did she think her mother believed her. "Just, stay with Vanessa, alright? As long as you've got each other, you'll be fine."

"I will," Claire said and then opened her arms and hugged her daughter. "Sweetheart, I'm so..."

"Mom, you really don't need to apologize. It's okay. I love you too, alright?"

Claire nodded her head and kissed her daughter's cheek.

Over by the stroller, Troy picked up a tired Ryan and hugged her close.

"Be good for Claire and Vanessa," he told her. Ryan wrapped her little arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Troy's eyes started to water. "I promise, Ry, I'll be back. I'll stop these bad guys, I'll save the world, and then I'll start working on getting you somewhere nice to grow up. Until then, you're going to stay with Claire and Vanessa. They'll... they'll take very good care of you."

"Red?"

"Yeah, I'm going to be the red Ranger," Troy nodded. He looked to his sister. "I have to do this, Ryan. For the world and for you. I'm going to beat the monsters. You'll never have to worry about them again, okay?"

He kissed her cheek, then Ryan kissed his. She seemed to know he had to go and this time didn't put up too much of a fuss as he put her in Vanessa's arms. She started to wave goodbye to him. Troy smiled, waved back, then turned away. He looked to Rebecca and hoped he could get one last moment with his sister, but saw her and Noah in a tight embrace. He walked up to them. He didn't want to interrupt, but he couldn't leave without saying good.

"Take care, alright?"

"You'll come home," Rebecca told him. She moved out of Noah's arms to give him a quick hug. "You'll come home. I'll finish high school. You'll go on to college or something. We'll save up, buy a place, all three of us, and then Ryan will move in."

"Three?" Troy asked. He turned to Noah. The blue Ranger rubbed his neck nervously.

"If that's okay."

Troy nodded and smiled. He turned back to Rebecca and kissed her cheek.

"That's the plan," he said. Rebecca smiled. She hugged her brother, then hugged Noah and joined the others while the Rangers started to walk to the door. Just as they were about to step out, Rebecca made a noise. Everyone turned to her.

"Something's coming," she whispered and not long after, the Rangers heard a sound getting louder, as though it was getting closer.

"Missile!" Noah suddenly shouted and raced across the room. He morphed quickly and jumped on top of Rebecca, shielding her from the explosion while the others did the same with their loved one.


	63. The Final Straw

Gia felt someone grab her wrist as she started to come to. Her ears were ringing loudly and when she opened her eyes, her vision was blurred. She could smell something around her burning, but didn't make much of it as her mother's voice came through.

"Gia! Wake up! Hurry!" Vanessa called and shook her awake. Gia felt her mother let go of her wrist and then start tapping her cheek. "Come on. Get up. You're okay."

"Mom..."

"We've got to go," her mother announced as Gia sat up. She rubbed her head and looked around. Claire was fussing over Emma, double and triple checking her for injuries while Noah was doing the same with Rebecca. Troy was rocking a very upset Ryan, both of whom looked to be doing well. Jordan was pushing Orion off himself as they untangled themselves and sat up. Her mother and Jake, with Tiger in his arms, were by her side, helping her to get to her feet.

"Serena's holding off the Imperial Guards. She said to leave," Jake told Gia. "We've got to go."

Gia shook her head. Something seemed to be missing. She looked around the room again. She saw Troy and remembered watching him morph and dive to protect Ryan. She had morphed to protect her mother from the blast. Noah had shielded Rebecca, Emma protected her mother, and a morphed Orion shoved Jordan to the ground to cover him. Jake had morphed and used his body to shield Tiger, and Serena dropped to the ground to protect herself as much as possible.

That was the whole team but someone was missing. Gia could just feel it. Her mother grabbed her wrist and was just about to pull her away when it hit Gia.

"Ms. Chesterfield!" she looked around but saw only her friends and rubble. A little ways off, on the street, Serena was fighting the Imperial Guards, doing her best to buy the Rangers and their family time to escape. Gia knew she had to go but couldn't leave without a full body count. "Ms..."

"Gia, come on!" Jake called to her. He had Tiger in his arms and looked ready to leave. Gia could feel her mother tugging on her arm and her friends' stares, but she had no clue where Ms. Chesterfield had gone.

"Ms. Chester... Ciara!" she shouted, certain that if Ms. Chesterfield could hear her, she would have already answered. But Gia was desperate for anything.

"Gia... Sweetheart," her mother shook her head. Gia's eyes started to water.

"Mom... she... she can't be dead," Gia whispered. "She saved me, mom. She... please..."

Vanessa nodded slowly and then told the others she and Gia would be right behind them. As the Rangers turned to leave, Vanessa started to dig through the rubble. Serena was getting tired so they needed to work fast. Fortunately, Ms. Chesterfield wasn't buried too deep. Unfortunately, she was going to have to stay buried. Vanessa gasped when she found the vice-principal. She jumped and backed away. Gia turned to see what had startled her mother but Vanessa grabbed her.

"Let's go. We can't do anything," she said. Gia fought back.

"No, mom, we..."

"Let's go, Gia!"

"Ms. Chesterfield!" Gia pulled away from her mother's arms and dropped down next to Ms. Chesterfield's grave. The sight haunted her. Ms. Chesterfield was lying on her stomach but her head had been crushed by a piece of the floor from the upper level that had come down in the blast. Vanessa grabbed her daughter's arm.

"I'm sorry, Gia, but we've got to go!"

"NO!" Gia screamed tearfully as her mother pulled her away. They met up with the others a few blocks away in an alley. Once the team was together and they were sure there were no Imperial Guards nearby, they teleported to the command center, just as Ms. Chesterfield had informed them.

When they appeared, the command center was just as they remembered it before the Armada had attacked. The consoles were up, the keys were in their place and Gosei's face hung on the wall. But the Rangers didn't have time to enjoy being back home as their cave was quickly filled with Gia's screams. Jake took his fiancée in his arms, hugged her tight, cradled her head to his chest and rocked her. He looked up at Vanessa.

"What did you find?"

Vanessa shook her head, "She's gone."

"They killed Ms. Chesterfield?" Rebecca asked. Noah walked over to his console and switched it on. It was like he had never left as he started looking through the map and the database at once.

"The emperor is making his move," he announced. "There are aliens all over the city, space ships everywhere. If we don't stop them soon, they'll spread and it'll too much for even us to..."

"Rangers!" Gosei's eyes lit up as his voice filled the room. Everyone jumped, startled, and turned to the giant face on the wall.

"Gosei?"

"I am back," Gosei acknowledged, "But my return is only brief. Rangers, the world is in serious trouble. An evil, far more powerful than anything I have ever seen on Earth has arrived."

"There you go, telling us what we already know," Jake rolled his eyes. He squeezed Gia softly. "Gosei, if you don't mind, could you actually be of service..."

"The former Rangers are preparing to assist you in this war. You will need all the power you can get," Gosei said. "However, many teams no longer have access to their Ranger suits."

"Are you just here to narrate?" Vanessa asked. "Gosei, I know we've never seen eye to eye but please..."

"The Armada's attack all those months ago nearly completely drained me of my life force," Gosei said. "I have been laying here, dormant, storing up my powers for this exact purpose. Rangers, you have all done formidably in my absence, and Tensou's courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten, but it is time I leave you now, for good. I will use what I have left to restore the Rangers their powers."

"Everyone?" Rebecca asked. "Like all the Rangers that have ever walked the Earth?"

"Every single Ranger," Gosei confirmed. "It will take time. As you know, there are many Rangers, but they will be of assistance as soon as possible."

"And until then?" Noah asked. "Gosei, these aliens are attacking the city. We're losing people by the dozens..."

"Hundreds," Troy corrected him as he looked to his own console.

"Your families will be safe in the command center," Gosei assured them. "Tensou repaired it for this purpose. Rest assured, when you win, they will all be waiting for you."

"That's a relief," Noah smiled and put his arm around Rebecca.

Orion looked around the room with a whistle, "For a little guy, Tensou works pretty fast."

"I am very proud of you Rangers. I am proud of all the work you've done and the sacrifices you have made for your planet. Thank you, Rangers," Gosei said before his eyes dimmed and he was gone once more. The Rangers tried to call him back, but he never answered.

"Well... what now?" Jake asked. He felt Gia shift in his arms and suddenly she was morphed. She got to her feet and clenched her fists.

"We fight."

"Gia..."

"No one else is going to die," Gia said. "I am sick and tired of losing!"

"Yes! Gia's pissed!" Rebecca said with a smile. Noah turned to her.

"Why is that a good thing?"

"Because she's pissed at Emperor what's-his-face," Rebecca said. "And when she's pissed at someone..."

"Oh, he's going to know it," Gia nodded her head. "And you can be damn sure he's going to regret everything he's done to this planet."

Tiger brushed up again Gia's leg. She knelt down, stroked her cat behind the ears and nodded.

"How does Emperor Mavro steak sound for dinner?" she asked. "Don't worry, we're coming back."

"You heard our captain," Orion smiled, clapped his hands and suddenly he was morphed, "Let's save this planet!"

The others nodded, morphed, and followed the yellow and silver Rangers out of the command center. Vanessa and the others ran after them, but only going as far as the entrance.

"Stay safe! Stick together! Only attack the big bad emperor as a group!" Vanessa called after them. Claire chuckled and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend.

"You've been a Ranger mom for way too long. They'll be fine. Gia's pissed. We've got that going for us."

"When she's pissed..."

"She's smart. She's... not the same girl she was when this all started," Claire said. Rebecca nodded her head.

"None of them are."


	64. Power Rangers

The Invasion had begun. The very thing the Rangers had been working nearly two years to stop. The city was lined with Imperial Guards. Some were terrorizing people who had tried to take off for safety. Others, were pulling people from their homes, and if they didn't swear loyalty and their lives to Emperor Mavro, they were killed. The sight sickened Gia and angered her at once. All the dead people, all the innocent lives ruined or lost because some big brute thought he was better than everyone else.

Gia was tired of letting big brutes run her over. As she and the Rangers walked into the city, they caught the attention of the Imperial Guards. They weren't attacked, but Mavro stepped off his ship to greet the Rangers. He had a sickening smirk on his face. One Gia knew all too well.

"You've come to surrender?" he asked, but his tone suggested it was more of a statement. He wanted them to give up. He wanted them to bow down to him. He wanted this to go over the easy way. Gia wouldn't give him what he wanted.

"This ends now, Mavro!"

"And what are you going to do about it?" Emperor Mavro chuckled. "You're just a bunch of pathetic children! This empire has invaded millions of galaxies in its time and defeated warriors far stronger than you! Why, you're nothing but a walking bag of bones!"

The Imperial Guards started to laugh as they approached the Rangers slowly. Gia clenched her fists.

"You and me."

"You dare challenge me?" Mavro asked with a booming laugh. The Imperial Guards laughed as well.

"You defeat us, the Power Rangers, and you can have this planet," Gia stated. "We win, and you back off. If you even walk away alive."

Seeing she wasn't backing down, Emperor Mavro started to take her threat seriously. He snapped his fingers as Damaras, Levira, and Invidious stepped out of the ship and followed him. He walked up to Gia, standing over her.

"I will give you one last chance, Earthling. Surrender."

Gia reached for her sabre and then held it out. Just as Mavro thought she was going to give it up to him, she struck, slicing him across the chest and then kicked him hard in the stomach. He fell backwards onto his butt and let out of a cry of rage. Damaras, Levira, Invidious, X-Borgs and Imperial Guards started to rush to the yellow Ranger, but her friends got in the way. Emma, blocked a strike from Damaras and then blasted him several feet back, challenging him to a duel while Troy did the same with Levira. Jake, once more, found himself face to face with Invidious and smirked.

"We've got a score to settle," he chuckled. "Levira may not be the love of my life, but if I have my way, you'll never see her again."

Invidious cried out and set his sights on the green Ranger.

Noah, by himself, tackled the X-Borgs. There were so many of them, though, he started to doubt he could take them on his own. Until he felt something calling to him. He looked down at his Ranger key and saw it was glowing.

"Exactly how much did you get done, Tensou?" he asked as he stuck the key in his blaster. Suddenly, it transformed into a large cannon and Noah found himself with five blue Ranger keys in his hands. He looked down at his new weapon in awe, inserted all five keys and the fired it off at the X-Borgs.

Orion faced off against the Imperial Guards. He had already recognized them from some of the trips the Armada had made to his planet while he had been in hiding. He knew they were in a way responsible for what had happened to his family, his friends, and his home and so he had an endless supply of rage to unleash on all of them. Using every key he had, he cycled through his sixth Rangers powers and kept the Imperial Guards on their toes.

Gia, got a lucky strike in against Emperor Mavro, but was quick to learn exactly how he had come to power. Once he returned to his feet he struck her with a blast so hard, it immediately knocked her out of her Ranger suit and left her rolling around in the ground. But as he approached to finish her off, she jumped back up, powered back up and the fight was on again. He got one lucky shot, but that was where his luck would run out.

She glanced around quickly at her friends to see how they were doing. Orion was fighting in anger, but he didn't seem to be making too many mistakes. If anything, it looked like the Imperial Guards were the ones bumbling around and underestimating the Silver Ranger. He returned to his Super Mega form and then skewered two of them on his trident before launching their dead bodies down the street.

Noah had a new weapon in his hands, and it was working brilliantly to keep the X-Borgs at bay. They didn't stand a chance against the weapon's power, but there was so many of them, Noah would be kept busy for a long time still.

Jake, meanwhile, seemed to be having a little fun with Invidious. The love-struck alien was fighting for revenge while Jake was a lot more level headed. Right now, he seemed to be enjoying toying with Invidious. As long as it was wearing the monster down, Gia was all for it.

She looked to Troy. He seemed to be in the fight of his life with Levira, but even through the helmet Gia could see the passion in his eyes. Just like herself, Troy had lost a lot to the war. His parents had been murdered viciously by Emperor Mavro's oldest son. While Troy had gotten his revenge against Vekar for what he had done, Gia knew all too well the pain didn't end there. Troy wasn't going to feel better until the planet was safe again. Until he, his friends, and his sisters especially could live the rest of their lives in peace. He took a hard blow to the head, and nearly lost his arm in one attack, but that didn't stop him getting up and returning the favour to Levira.

Emma was also having a hard time against Damaras, but she had a trick or two up her sleeve to keep her motivated. The loss of Joe kept her in the fight. While not technically her father, he had raised her and Gia never let herself believe for a moment that Emma didn't struggle with that loss as much as she did. But Emma had another card up her sleeve. Long before she had been recruited to be a Ranger, she had the mission to protect the Earth. Seeing it destroyed, seeing lives being terrorized and lost worked her up. More than anyone, she knew what was at stake, and she was ready to fight with all she had to protect the planet and the people she loved dearly.

Seeing her friends so passionate motivated Gia to keep going, and with the loss of her father, Tensou's sacrifice, and Mrs. Chesterfield's recent death burning in the back of her mind, she knew exactly what needed to be done. As Mavro brought his big, heavy sword down, she held her up sabre and blocked his strike. He pressed against her defense and leaned in.

"This foolishness is going to be what destroys you all," he claimed. "I had considered keeping you Earthlings as pets, but now that I see how much trouble you are..."

Gia didn't let him finish. She knew his plans to kill her. She knew he would go after her family. She didn't need to hear it again. She kicked up both her legs, striking him in the gut and as he stumbled backwards, she got to her feet, grabbed her blaster and shot him in the arm. The blast wasn't enough to penetrate his armour, but it had been strong enough to blow his sword right out of his hand.

"You insolent..."

"Yeah, you hate me, I get it," Gia nodded. She launched her sabre at his head and while he ducked to avoid what could have been a lethal catch, Gia inserted her Megaforce Key and powered up. She summoned her Tiger Claw. "Have you met my trusty friend?" she smirked and struck Mavro several times across the face, arms and chest. Nearby, she could hear her friends had also powered up, but instead of weapons and suits, they had called some allies to the field. Emma's Phoenix soared high up in the air and cawed loudly, shaking the ground, before she dove towards Damaras. She struck him once, and then returned for a second chance. Only this time, she didn't strike. She grabbed him in her talons, lifted him high and then let him drop. Damaras hit the ground with a loud, heavy boom.

Troy summoned his dragon. As soon as his spirit was unleashed, it turned around and struck Levira with his tail. Before she could get to her feet, he grabbed her in his mouth and chomped down hard, cracking her armour and causing her to bleed. Troy watched on proudly with his sabre in hand and was more than ready to finish the job.

Jake, meanwhile, summoned his snake, but barely had the time to go after Invidious before he heard Levira cry out. Invidious was immediately distracted and rushed off; calling out to Levira that he would protect her. Jake shook his head and his snake speed after the monster. He wrapped himself around Invidious' legs to trip him and once the monster was on the ground, he wrapped himself around him to constrict him. Before long, Invidious couldn't move or breathe.

Noah had to power down to Megaforce blue, but then used a Power Card to summon a blast of water. Inside the blast, as thought that wasn't deadly enough to the X-Borgs, he unleashed his shark. With his sharp teeth, he ripped through the X-Borg's armour, tearing the apart quickly and effectively before leaving their pieces along the ground.

"Having my own spirit would have been so cool," Orion said to himself as he continued against the Imperial Guards. But he had gotten distracted watching his friends and let one Guard get a little too close. Orion only realised too late and braced himself for a hit that was sure to come, but it was stopped. He looked up to see why and his heart froze.

"Robo-Knight?"

The robot nodded his head, announced he had finally returned and then started to help Orion clear through the Imperial Guards.

Gia smirked to see an old friend had returned. She knew it was Tensou's doing, and along with repairing the command center, the Zords, their keys, and building Noah's new weapon, Robo-Knight's return just served to remind her how much Tensou had done for her and her team, and how good of a friend he had been. Gia was sure Gosei, in his own way, had always cared for her and the Rangers, but she had always felt that love from Tensou.

So when Mavro knocked her down, she felt something burning inside of her, willing her back on her feet. Tensou had believed in her. Tensou had worked long and hard to give her and her friends their best shot. He had sacrificed himself for this exact moment. She wasn't going to disappoint him. Seeing a crack in Mavro's armour as he approached, she lodged her Tiger Claw inside. She felt it go through the armour and then through his chest.

Mavro cried out angrily. Gia hoped this was it. She hoped she had beaten him. She stumbled back, desperate to get out of his way but then watched as he grabbed her Tiger Claw and ripped it right out of his own chest. He bled heavily from the wound, but other than that, seemed no worse for wear.

"Come on!" she shouted. "That's at least got to hurt!"

"Think again!" Mavro shouted and threw her Tiger Claw back at her. It came towards her so quickly she didn't have time to move out of the way and was hit hard. She was knocked back and then Mavro shot at her with a blast of energy. Gia hit the ground and powered down. She looked up in horror as Mavro walked up to her, picking up his sword along the way. "You should have surrendered."

"Back off, ugly!" Gia heard a voice and looked up to see the white Samurai Ranger jump in front of Mavro. She traced a Symbol in the air as a boulder appeared and smacked him in the front of the body.

"Earth Slicer!" the yellow Samurai Ranger announced before her weapon flew over Gia's head, tore through the giant boulder and struck Mavro, leaving his face torn up.

"Forest Spear!" the green Samurai Ranger cried out as he appeared behind Mavro and struck him twice in the back. Then, suddenly, the red Time Force Ranger appeared, and with several punches, he knocked Mavro off his feet. Gia's jaw dropped in awe and shock. She knew, right away, the identity of her rescuer. Serena, Emily and Mike from the Samurai team and Wes from Time Force. She had met them all, and couldn't be more grateful for their help now.

But the arrivals didn't stop coming. Together, the pink and red Lightspeed Rangers attacked Mavro, blasting him as soon as he got to his feet. Gia already knew Dana was the pink Ranger after she had helped Rebecca after the Armada invaded the command center, but only knew of Carter through Dana and through the database. They had never met before.

Then, three Rangers appeared. The Lost Galaxy Red, Green and Pink Rangers, or Leo, Damon and... Gia wasn't sure exactly as the database had listed two people in the pink suit: Kendrix and Karone.

Suddenly, two of the Space Rangers flew down on their Galaxy Gliders. Gia had never met them personally, but knew from the database that the blue Ranger was TJ and the pink Ranger was Cassie. They too attacked Mavro just as he was about to get back to his feet and knocked him down before they landed on the ground.

Then, in walked a Ranger Gia had no trouble recognizing. The green Mighty Morphin Ranger, or as he was better known to her: Dr. Oliver. He stood, front and center before all the former Rangers and faced Emperor Mavro as the alien rose to his feet. He looked out at the battle field in shock. Gia took a moment to do the same and gasped. It wasn't just twelve Rangers who had returned to lend a hand. Every single Ranger was present and working with her friends.

To finish off Levira, Troy was working alongside all the former male Red Rangers: from Mighty Morphin all the way to Samurai.

Working with Emma, all the girls had bonded together to stop Damaras, striking him down for good just as Gia turned to watch. She then shifted her head to Noah and watched him finish off the X-Borgs with the help of the former blue Rangers as well as Dustin and the yellow Mystic Force Ranger.

Helping Jake with Invidious was every single black and green Ranger, with a little help from Hunter and RJ.

Finally, fighting by Orion's side against all the Imperial Guards was every sixth Ranger from every team. All the Rangers were present. Everyone was fighting against Emperor Mavro and his forces to protect the Earth.

"Told you," Serena chuckled as she helped Gia to her feet. "Meeting's over. It's time to fight."

"You're all here?" Gia asked. Tommy turned to her, nodded his head and then removed his helmet.

"You guys look like you can use a hand."

"I... yeah, we could," Gia nodded. Leo stepped forward.

"Emperor Mavro's forces are spreading. So far, everything seems to be focused here in Harwood, but we've seen Imperial Guards in all our home towns."

"We've all got a lot to lose," Damon added. The pink Lost Galaxy Ranger nodded her head. Gia still wasn't sure who she was, until she removed her helmet.

"I've never seen anything this bad," Karone stated. "And trust me, I've seen evil."

"You don't know the half of it," Gia muttered. Karone smirked.

"I'll tell you all about it later."

"Hey, guys," TJ said, "Don't we have a giant evil big bad alien to fight?"

"We're introducing ourselves," Cassie smirked. "If we're going to work with the kid, she might as well know who we are."

"I know some of you," Gia said. "I mean... I've met some of you before."

Gia glanced at the battle field again, watching her friends, her allies, and all the former Rangers fight. Having every single Ranger present meant they had a lot of power, and for some reason, Gia could feel it all flowing through her veins.

"We'll have time for introductions later," Carter stated then Dana swat him in the chest.

"Mavro's down, Gia's winded. Let's just give her another minute to catch her breath."

"We're not total glory hogs," Wes chuckled. Gia turned to him and smirked.

"You're not recruiting me on another undercover mission, are you?"

"No more cartels," Wes shook his head. "You barely survived that last one."

"Barely?"

"Uh, guys?" Mike called out and pointed to Mavro, "Looks like ugly's getting up."

"We'll have to finish this later," Emily stated while Mavro let out a loud cry. Suddenly, he was completely surrounded as all the other Rangers had finished with their assigned targets and set their sights on him.

"This isn't over!" Mavro screamed loudly. He summoned down another fleet of Imperial Guards to surround him before he started to make his way over to Gia and her returning Rangers.

"Let's make sure we finish this, guys," Tommy said as he put his helmet back on. "Gia? Do you want to do the honours?"

"Seriously?" she asked. He nodded his head and chuckled.

"You have done well so far. Plus, you're... well, you're kind of the only one that still needs to morph."

"Right," Gia nodded and she looked down at herself. Then she grabbed her morpher, "It's Morphin Time!"


	65. The Final Battle

With more than a hundred Rangers fighting by their side, the Megaforce Rangers felt this second round go a little easier. Some were even joking around; playing with each other and the Imperial Guards like being back in the suit was fun for them.

And Troy had to admit, it was. He launched an Imperial Guard high up in the air and watched as most of the former reds competed to shoot it down, almost like target practice.

"Mine!" Jack cried out only for Rocky to shake his head.

"No way! I got that! Five points for me."

"Four points for you, six for me!" Andros said. "That was my blast that got him."

"Incoming!" Katie cried out as nearly a hundred Imperial Guards flew over the reds heads' and crashed into a nearby building. By now, the city had been completely evacuated so there was no danger of casualties. The building toppled over, crashing to the ground with a big boom. "I guess that's two hundred for me?"

"Show off," the reds all muttered in unison.

"Hey, you guys got to fight on the moon," Justin pointed out. "How about letting another colour take over?"

"Like black," Dillon agreed and with his bare hands punched through two Imperial Guard's chests plates and then smashed them into the ground. "I think that doubles my score."

"Dillon, we're not here to keep score," Summer reminded him. "We're here to save the Earth."

"We already saved our Earth," Dillon shrugged. "It's not like we have anything to lose."

"I think the Boom-Twins agree with you there," Flynn said and pointed to where Gem and Gemma were standing with a remote control in their hands. Jason's eyes widened behind his helmet.

"Oh shit! Everyone get down!"

"KA!"

"BOOM!" Gem and Gemma cried out as several abandoned cars on the street suddenly exploded and sent metal and more debris flying out at the Rangers and the Imperial Guards. Fortunately, none of the Rangers were hurt, but there had been a couple close calls.

"This is so awesome!" Jake cried out and looked between all his teammates with a smile. "Did anyone ever dream this would happen?"

"I've dreamt of exactly this," Troy smirked and nodded. His friends looked to him.

"This is what you've been dreaming of?"

"I didn't think it would really happen," he told them. "But now that is has... this is one for the books. Let's finish these guys!"

Meanwhile, a little ways off, twelve of the returning Rangers and Gia were giving their battle their all against Emperor Mavro. He seemed to be a little overwhelmed with so many opponents, but even with a hole in his chest, he still had enough power to hold them off. He grabbed Cassie by the neck, launched her up and then kicked her across the air. She flew straight into Damon and they both tumbled down. Mike tried to blind Mavro with a leaf storm, but it had little effect. He turned to the green Ranger and raised his hand, summoning up as much energy as he could.

"No one beats on my brother in-law but me!" Serena shouted, traced a Symbol and dropped a small mountain on Mavro. It quickly blew to pieces as he got up.

"Nothing keeps him down," Leo said. "We'll need something stronger!"

"Anymore Rangers hiding up your sleeves, Tommy?" Carter asked. The green Mighty Morphin Ranger shook his head.

"Sorry. I'm all out."

"That's a first," TJ chuckled. Suddenly, the pieces of the shattered mountain came towards the Rangers, knocking them all down as the Earth began to tremble and then crack. Buildings started to fall as fissures grew in the Earth big enough to swallow them and anything else in their path.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Emily muttered.

"You think you can stop me!" Emperor Mavro screamed. His ship raised and started to fly over the Rangers. It shot at them, missing, but hitting nearby cars, homes, shops, and everything else, including the Imperial Guards. Debris was flying everywhere and would either strike the Rangers, knocking them down, or blind them to where they were going.

"Even the bag guy has toys," Dana muttered. Gia clenched her morpher.

"He's not dying!"

"There's a way!" Tommy told her. "We just need something bigger. Something stronger. But we are getting to him."

"Nothing can defeat me!" Mavro shouted. He doubled in size. The wound in his chest closed up. He grabbed some of his own Imperial Guards and tossed them at the Rangers before he stomped his feet. The ground trembled but by now the city had been completely flattened.

Then, with one big leap, a blast of energy covered the city. It knocked all the Rangers off their feet and powered down some of the more tired Rangers. Everyone struggled to get up and Mavro took advantage. He walked through his tired opponents, stepping on some of them as he moved, and then scooped up Gia in his hand.

"Put her down!" Tommy shouted and rose to his feet. Mavro had enough and smacked him with the back of his hand. Tommy was knocked across the street and landed in a heap with some of his former teammates.

"You die now," Mavro said. "For killing my son, for standing against my army, for refusing to serve me, your king: you will die!"

"Killing Vrak was an honour," Gia seethed. Mavro growled and held her up in the air.

"This is what happens, Mega Rangers, to anyone who dares to defy me! I have let you walk all over my sons, my army, for far too long. This ends here!"

Mavro started to squeeze Gia, crushing her in his grip and then threw her to the ground. Gia let out a cry of pain while her twelve allies rose to their feet and with their weapons they started to strike or shoot at Mavro.

"We've got to help them," Jason announced to the rest as he pulled himself up. "Zordon, Gosei, all our mentors, they gave us these powers for a reason!"

Troy nodded. He couldn't help but agree. While he hadn't always understood some of Gosei's ideas or strategies, he knew his former mentor had chosen well. While some of the fights along the way had been tough, and though they had lost some friends, they had been able to overcome everything until now. Troy wasn't ready to stop. He clenched his fists tightly and could suddenly feel power coursing through him. He looked over and saw one by one as the red Rangers powered down. As they did, he felt more and more power build up.

Noah rose to his feet as well. He remembered the day Gosei had recruited him. He remembered feeling a little sick. He had never considered himself a hero. Sure, he had the smarts to invent weapons, but he never had the confidence or strength like his teammates. But over the last couple of years, that had changed. He trained hard; he put his strengths to good use and made the best of what he had. He found a reason to fight, something to believe in, and he wasn't about to give up. Around him, the blue Rangers powered down one by one while his power increased.

Jake got up, seething with anger. Becoming a hero had been exciting for him. Beating up bad guys, saving the world, it all seemed like a dream come true. But when he found out exactly what it meant to wear the spandex, he felt a little in over his head. Still, with the help of his friends, a little guidance, and a passion to see things finally turn around for the person he loved most, he had been ready and willing to go to the ends of the Earth to destroy any threat. Now, all he wanted was a peaceful life, a game of soccer, and Gia in his arms. And there was only one thing standing in his way. He felt his strength grow as around him, all the black and green Rangers passed on their powers.

Emma looked around at the ruined city. All her efforts to see the Earth become a better place seemed in vain, but she wasn't ready to give up. All was not yet lost. She could still save the Earth and protect her friends. Gosei hadn't needed to do much convincing when she knew she would be getting a little more power to accomplish what had already been her goal: saving the Earth and all it's inhabitants. Though she hadn't been ready for all the challenges she faced, she had come too far not to see this final one through. Around her, the pink Rangers passed on their powers, and she could feel her strength building up. She felt invincible.

Orion thought of his home, of his friends, of the family he lost. He remembered the day the Armada had invaded Andrasia. He remembered the terror he felt as he ran for cover. He remembered the screams of the people he cared about as they tried, but ultimately failed to do the same. He remembered seeing nothing left of the mines he spent his days working in, the village where he had grown up, or even the home that had sheltered him from all dangers before. The Sixth Rangers around him powered down as the fire inside him burned hotter and brighter. He was ready to see this threat end. He wouldn't let this world suffer like his hand. He was going to give them the chance his family never had.

"Final Strike!" the five Megaforce Rangers cried out at once as they launched everything they had, every ounce of energy and Power at Emperor Mavro. It struck him in the back, knocking him down and causing him to return back to his normal height. He let out a cry of pain, but wasn't done. The Megaforce Rangers, though, were down for the count.

Mavro rose to his feet. He saw his unarmed opponents. He saw the Megaforce Rangers, his biggest foes, were down for good. He huffed and puffed but threw his hands in the air.

"I... I win! You're powerless! This planet is mine."

"Think again, Mavro," Gia said as she rose to her feet with help from the yellow Rangers' powers. She picked up her sabre and pierced Mavro through the chest.

Not once.

Not twice.

Seven times. One wound for everyone her father had in his chest when he died. Gia knew Mavro wasn't directly to blame for that, but it was the best revenge she could ask for. Vrak had killed her father. She got to kill his.

She killed Mavro. She saved the world. He dropped to the ground and lay unmoving. Gia dropped next to him, powered down, and didn't wake up. None of the Megaforce Rangers did.


	66. Wake Ups And Goodbyes

The hospital waiting room was full of people who sat quietly. All had numerous injuries, but none seemed to care. Everyone was nervous. They were all waiting anxiously to hear some news about their youngest teammates.

"Noah..."

"Nothing yet, Mrs. Carver," Tommy said when he saw Noah's parents rush in. After the fight, he had called them. He thought it was only right to let them know the war was over, their son had succeeded and where they could finally be reunited with him. However, due to the Harwood being in ruined, and all of California under a state of emergency, it took a while for the Carvers to arrive. It had been three days since Tommy made the call. He was glad they could finally join.

Everything in Harwood was gone. It would take years to rebuild. Until then, residents and survivors needed to find somewhere else to live. Many didn't argue, finding it hard to believe that after two years, the threat was suddenly over. They wanted to leave. Some were desperate to get back what they lost. They stayed. They would be the ones to clean up.

In the meantime, the former Rangers brought their teammates to Mariner Bay. Dana already worked in the hospital there, so she had all her equipment and staff available to help. It gave the Rangers their best chance. Some other former Rangers with advanced medical training had offered to help, but now, they had done all they could. It was up to the Megaforce Rangers to get their strength back and wake up.

"They'll be fine," Doggie assured them. Mrs. Carver gasped when she saw him and pulled in closer to her husband. Rebecca heard the sound and chuckled.

"He's SPD," she explained. "He's from the future. The not too distance future. You're from... Sirius, right?"

"Exactly," Doggie nodded his head. Rebecca smiled to herself. Since she had arrived at the hospital, the former Rangers had done all they could to keep her mind off her friends' conditions by sharing their stories with her of their time. They all knew she was a big fan.

"This is all too... weird," Mr. Carver said. He saw a couple friendly human faces offer him and his wife a seat. They sat gratefully and waited for news on their son. Fortunately, they didn't need to wait long as Dana walked out.

"Troy's up," she said. Rebecca jumped to her feet and ran down the hallway.

Mr. Holling looked up, "Any news on Jake?"

"I promise you, I'll let you know as soon as something changes," Dana said. Mr. Holling nodded and then turned to Mrs. Holling.

"We'll see him soon."

"I have so much to tell him..."

"You'll get your chance," Mr. Holling squeezed her hand.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Rebecca didn't need sight to know where to do. Something inside her was able to lead her. She burst through the door to Troy's room and heard him chuckle.

"I knew you would be the first face I saw," he said. Rebecca walked up to his bed cautiously and searched for his hand. Troy put his hand in hers and stroked it with his thumb. "I'm fine. I promise."

"It's been three days."

"It feels like six," Troy joked. Rebecca shook her head.

"They kept telling me you'd be fine. You're just tired. Your body just needs rest. But you scared me!"

"Becca..."

"I'm so proud of you," Rebecca whispered as she leaned in to hug her brother. Troy put his arms around her.

"Is it really over?" he asked her. "Mavro's gone? They're all gone? There's no one..."

"No one else," Rebecca shook her head. "Billy, he's like... somehow ten times as smart as Noah. Well, he says he is, I'm still trying to see if he's telling the truth. Anyways, he's got this little tablet thing. It's scanned the skys, the atmosphere. We're safe now. Evil's... gone."

"All evil?"

Rebecca nodded her head. "You did it," she smiled at her brother. "You stopped them. The Warstar, the Armada, Vrak, Mavro. We're safe. We're finally safe."

Troy pulled his sister in his arms and hugged her tight as tears filled his eyes.

-Megaforce-

After hearing news that Noah was up, Mr. and Mrs. Carver were led to his room. They didn't like to see their son so beat up, but they were filled with pride because they knew what he had accomplished. Noah smiled when he saw them and sat up a little straighter.

"Mom! Dad!"

His parents rushed over and then gingerly wrapped him in their arms.

"How are you feeling? Dr. Mitchell said..."

"All things considered, I'm feeling great," Noah smiled. "I'm a little tired..."

"We didn't get to see what happened," Mr. Carver said. "But Tommy, or, Dr. Oliver, rather, filled us in on the way over. Did you... you beat that Emperor Mavro guy?"

"I... I guess we did," Noah said as it finally sunk in what he and his friends had accomplished. "We... we won."

"We couldn't be prouder," Mrs. Carver said with a bright, warm smile.

-Megaforce-

Orion was in his room, packing his bags. He appreciated everything the Rangers had done for him and everything the planet had to offer, but he couldn't bring himself to stay. When he had woken up alone in his room and seen the blue sky outside his window, he was only reminded of everything he had lost. He had kept this planet safe, but now, there was nothing else for him to do.

"Are you leaving?"

Orion turned around and shrugged his shoulders at Claire. He lifted his bag.

"I can't stay here."

"Really? Because you have a home with us," Claire offered. "We'll help you get settled..."

"There's nothing for me here," Orion said. "I was thinking I could head back home, see what's left for me there and then... I don't know. Look around the galaxy I guess."

Orion then tilted his head curiously and looked to Claire, "How's Emma?"

"She just woke up. Jordan wanted to talk to her," Claire answered. "I figured I've give them privacy. While I waited, I was just checking up on you."

"Thanks, Mrs. Goodall."

"Orion, we mean it," Claire walked up to him and took his hand, "What you have here, with the Rangers, with us, that's real."

"I'll be back one day," Orion told her. "I just..."

Orion sighed. He lowered his bag and turned to the window. He looked up at the clear blue sky, "Now that the Armada's gone, it's really sinking in. My whole world, my life, it's just... gone."

"Not everything."

"Everything I grew up with. Everything I know as home. This planet got the chance mine never had and you do deserve it. Everyone I met, you're all great, amazing and friendly. It's just... I've got to see what else there is out there. What's left on Andrasia. Maybe there's something I missed. Maybe..."

Orion trailed off when his door opened again. He saw Gia walking in gingerly. Seeing she still looked a little weak, Orion rushed over to help her. He walked her to the bed and sat down with her.

"Gia..."

"I'm fine," she assured him. "How are you?"

"I've been better. I've been worse too," he said. "Honestly, you should be in bed."

"Gia, let me..." Claire tried to help Gia up. The yellow Ranger shook her head. She turned to Orion with a smile.

"I didn't want you to be alone," she said.

"Mrs. Goodall came," Orion told her. "Gia, you've really got to stay in bed, just until the doctor sees you, at least."

"I'm fine," Gia assured him and Claire both. She looked to Orion, "We did it, you know. You did it. The Armada's gone, the Earth's safe. The ones responsible for what happened to Andrasia..."

"I'm leaving," Orion announced sadly and turned away. Gia shook her head and took his hand. She squeezed it.

"Staying with people you love is the only thing that's going to make the emptiness go away," she said. Orion turned to her and looked to her in shock. She forced a smile, "Trust me. It's the only thing that's keeping me from falling apart right now. I know, compared to an entire planet, my dad and Ms. Chesterfield don't mean much but they meant the world to me."

"Gia... I..."

"Ms. Chesterfield... she kick started this whole recovering thing," Gia whispered. "Cliff turned up at school and this whole mess started. Long story short, punches were thrown, I took the blame, I deserved suspension. Ms. Chesterfield insisted there was something else going on and assigned Serena to me. Serena's the one that got me to open up and once I did, this weight lifted off my chest. It took a long time, but I'm better."

Gia's eyes started to tear up. She wiped them with the back of her hand, "After the war, I was going to show her how right she was. I wanted to be able to show her she made the right choice looking after me. I wanted to make her proud."

"You can still do that," Orion assured Gia. He put his arms around her. "I'm sure, somehow, she'll know you're doing well. You'll honour her."

"I will," Gia nodded. "And with everyone around, how can I go wrong? But you are sticking around, right?"

"I don't... Gia, I can't," Orion looked her in the eyes. "I've got to go back, at least for a little while."

"Alone?"

"I need some time," Orion said. "If there's something out there on Andrasia to be recovered, if there's anything I can do to bring my home back to life, I need to find out. This is just something I have to do."

"Will you come back?" Gia asked. Orion nodded his head.

"Of course. After some time."

"Promise?"

"Absolutely," Orion said and then leaned in and kissed her cheek. Gia smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Don't you dare lie to me."

Orion promised her again and then he reached to his wrist. He pointed to his bracelet. "Do you remember what this is?"

"A translator," she nodded. "When you wear it, you can understand and speak any language."

Orion nodded and then removed the bracelet. He placed it on her wrist.

"My parents gave it to me," he told her. "For my birthday. It's one of the last things they ever gave me. It means a lot now that they're gone. Keep that, and you'll know I'll come home."

Gia nodded her head, "You'll be back in time for Emma's wedding?"

"I'll wear a traditional Andrasian garb," he said. "Just keep me updated on the date."

"I don't know that yet. Just... don't take too long, alright?"

"I promise," Orion assured her again before he kissed her cheek. He then picked up his bag and hopped out the window. Gia watched him go tearfully. Claire sat down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"What were you two saying?"

"Huh?"

"I don't speak Andrasian," Claire said and pointed to the bracelet. Gia chuckled.

"Oh... right. He just... he promised he'd come home."


	67. Starting New Lives

Jake couldn't believe the sight before him when he woke up. Both his parents were sitting side by side next to his bed, working together to wake him gently and reassure him that he had nothing to worry about, despite being inside the building he feared most. Though he had a bit of anxiety about being in a hospital, so far, he felt fine. A little sore, a little tired, but after the battle he had just won, it was nothing to complain about.

"You're both here?" he asked. His parents looked to each other and then nodded their heads. Mrs. Holling, or Mrs. Daniels since she had married Rebecca's father, nodded her head.

"Since... the incident," she said. "I've had a lot of time to think about... what's really important."

Jake sat up. By now, both his parents knew of his Ranger duties but they had learned at different times. He assumed because they were both here now, they knew the other knew.

"Jacob, seeing you fight those aliens. Seeing you risk your life and wondering if I would ever see you again... It's a little clearer to me what I should have been focusing on," his mother's eyes started to water as she held his hand and gently stroked his cheek. "I'm not ready to lose you, especially over something as stupid as a girl..."

"She's not stupid, mom..."

"No! I didn't mean... Jake, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just..."

"Your mother and I have talked a lot since you last saw her," Mr. Holling assured his son. "While we don't exactly see eye to eye on the kind of girls we should let you date, we both have agreed that this is your life. You make the decisions and as your parents, all we can do is point you in the right direction and hope we've taught you enough to get by on your own. Right, Sally?"

His mother nodded her head. She squeezed Jake's hand, "I let my need to protect you cloud my judgement. Your girlfriend, Gia, she's got a bad history. The things I've heard about her, what's been published in papers and all that other garbage led me to think she was going to bring you down too."

"Mom..."

"I made a huge mistake, Jake," his mother admitted. "I didn't want you to have problems after problems with this girl..."

"Gia, Sally. She's got a name."

"With Gia. I didn't want you to struggle to love. I didn't want you to think you had to work for her with nothing in return. I didn't want to see your heart broken because she wasn't able to give you what you needed. But I never gave her a chance to show me she was different. I admit, the first time I saw her... I judged her."

His mother leaned in a little closer, took both his hands and tried to smile.

"Your happiness matters to me, Jacob. I see now I've been going about this all wrong. You'll make mistakes, you'll have bad break-ups, but what's most important is that I'm here to support you, no matter what you choose to do. If you think Gia's the right girl for you to be with then...I support it. Once we find a place to settle down, I'd really love to have her and her family over for dinner. I want to get to know her the right way, and I want to get to know the real Gia so that I can see exactly what you see in her."

Jake smiled up at his mother and then glanced over at his father to see him nodding his head. It was his indication to Jake that his mother was sincere, that she had changed and she was back to being the mother he needed. With that, Jake knew it was the perfect time to make his announcement.

"It's great you want to have her for dinner," he said. "But... Gia's not my girlfriend anymore."

"She's... not?" Mr. Holling frowned. "But Jake, she's..."

"She's my fiancée," Jake smiled. "I popped the question right before the big invasion. Just before she was abducted, really."

"F... Fiancée?" his mother stammered. His father seemed shocked.

"You're... you're kidding?"

"We've been through a lot together," Jake nodded his head. "More than most eighteen year olds. Hell, probably more than most eighty year olds. Through it all, Gia's always been the one person I've wanted and needed by my side. I feel better when she's around and miserable when she's not. I know she's the one."

His mother fell back into her seat. His father's expression hadn't changed from shock. Fortunately, there was a knock on the door and Conner walked in. The red Dino Rangers immediately noticed something strange going on and looked to Jake, who was trying to stifle a little laugh.

"Everything okay?"

"I'm engaged," Jake said. "I just told my parents."

"What? Dude, seriously?" Conner asked and walked over to the bed. He gave Jake a high-five. "You mean you got her? Wait, we're talking about Gia, right?"

"One and only," Jake nodded his head. Conner smiled.

"Yes! I knew it! I knew there was something special there. Oh man, the guys are going to freak when they hear this."

"Guys?" Jake asked. Conner nodded.

"Your teammates."

"They know."

"Soccer teammates," Conner smirked. Jake sat up straight.

"What? You mean..."

"You're on the team," Conner said. "We've got training until the start of the season. For the most part, it's the same team, but there's a few new players since you were last with us. Old guys will be happy to have you, the newer guys... Well, they'll understand why you're in once they see you play."

"They're letting me back on? They aren't pissed I..."

"You're all over the news," Conner said and showed Jake a newspaper article. "When those alien guys had Gia hostage, the whole world saw her face. She was recognized and then it was only a few days before more and more people started putting the pieces together. You're public knowledge now. At least, to most people in the state."

"That's... news," Jake wasn't sure how to take it. While he was sure this would mean some fame for him and he knew that meant the end of all the secrets and lies, a huge part of him just wanted his Ranger days to end. He didn't want to deal with press or fans or questions or even people hating on him and his friends for all the destruction they had inadvertently caused while saving the planet.

"You've got a huge family now," Conner assured him. "We're all going to work behind the scenes to make sure this has as little repercussion on your daily lives now as possible. Though we can't guarantee you won't get some hate your way. You destroyed your entire home town. People are a little..."

"Pissed?"

"To put it lightly," Conner nodded his head. "Though the Harwood Tornadoes are going to help with clean up and we're glad to put your face on the front of it all. Maybe if people see you're willing to help out after the war, they'll go a little easy on you. All the ticket sales from our first game of the season will go to help rebuild everything. It's a full time job, though."

"Job? Like, I play soccer and clean up the city and make money?"

"it won't be a lot to start," Conner said. "You'll start where you were when you were last on the team. But the better you get, the more games we win, and the more your face gets recognized, the more you'll earn. Sound great?"

"That sounds amazing!"

"Just rest up, alright?" Conner said. "We want you back to full form as soon as possible."

"Promise," Jake smiled. Conner gave him a firm handshake and then left him with his parents. Jake leaned back into his pillow, "I'm playing professional soccer for Conner McKnight."

"And you're engaged," his father breathed. "Holy shit... this is all happening so fast."

"Isn't it awesome!" Jake cried out. His parents looked to each other a little nervously at first, but then nodded and turned to him with a smile.

"It's exactly what you wanted."

"We're proud of you," they said.

-Megaforce-

Emma was alone in her room. Jordan had just been to talk to her but now she needed a little space to breathe and had asked him to give her some time to herself for a while. He said he was going to check up on Gia, kissed her, and walked out. Emma got out of bed and walked to the window. She looked up and sighed loudly.

A knock on her door startled her, but she turned to see her mother coming in. She was about to ask her mother to leave but then realized she was just who she needed.

"Gia's fine, if you're wondering," Claire said. "I saw her in Orion's room when I went to check up on him. She was saying goodbye."

"Where's she going?" Emma asked worriedly. Claire shook her head.

"Nowhere. Orion's leaving. He wanted to be on Andrasia for a little while. He'll be back."

"Oh?" Emma sighed. "He's just taking off?"

"This has to be difficult for him," Claire walked up next to her daughter and looked out the window with her. "We're getting the chance his planet never did. He'll need some time. But he promised to be back in time for your wedding."

"My... oh, right," Emma nodded.

"In the meantime," Claire smiled, "I can finally deliver on that promise. We can go on vacation, just the two of us if you want, or the whole family. I'm flexible. It's whatever you want to do. Jordan can even..."

"Mom, can we talk?"

"You don't want to go on vacation?"

"It's... it's not about that," Emma shook her head. She took her mother's hands softly.

-Megaforce-

After saying goodbye to Orion, Gia was helped back to her room by Claire. She crawled back into bed and leaned back against the pillow. She looked longingly at Orion's bracelet. She knew it would have been selfish to ask him to stay. Everyone had their own way of coping with loss and he needed to do what was right for him. But she wished he hadn't gone. She wished he hadn't taken off. It only served to remind her how many people she had lost in the war.

Her mother walked in shortly after that and wordlessly sat down next to her on the bed. Gia leaned into her.

"It's really all over?"

"It's all beginning," Vanessa said. "We have our whole lives ahead of us now. Once you're feeling up to it, we can start looking into schools or work or whatever you think is right."

"What about dad and Ms. Chesterfield?"

"This is exactly what they wanted for you," Vanessa smiled. "A new, better life. Opportunities, happiness; the whole package."

"It's not fair they don't get to see it."

"They live on though you," her mother assured her. "As long as you make the most of life, they'll be there with you for every step."

Gia nodded her head but sighed loudly. She didn't know what else to say until her door opened. Jordan walked in. She sighed again.

"There's still one evil I've got to take care of."

"I'm glad to see you too," Jordan smiled. He walked up to the bed and pat Gia's legs, "I've got a proposal."

"You only get two. Three's just hogging the glory."

"So, you know this cop stuff I wanna do?" Jordan asked. "How I'm in the academy and I'm actually doing well... well, until I came to see you guys and stuff."

"Jordan, what part of evil do you not understand?" Gia frowned. Jordan lightly squeezed her leg.

"No, hear me out. Two former Rangers... okay, well more, but two of them work in a Special Forces kind of thing."

"The Silver Guardians," Gia nodded her head. "Wes and Eric. We worked with them to take down the Cartels and save... Tensou..."

"Right! They told me about that. They told me how awesome you were. Eric even said you earned your stripes. He said he'd offer you a position in the Silver Guardians if his wife wasn't still yelling at him. Whatever that means."

"Jordan, now's not the..."

"But he offered me a position. A really, really great position!" Jordan smiled. "You're looking at the new head of the Silver Guardians of Angel Grove."

"What?"

"As long as I take the police training course offered at the current Silver Guardians HQ in Silver Hills and you're my partner."

"What?"

"Eric and Wes were impressed. Of course, you've got to take the course too, but we know you'll ace that. They say your Power Ranger training will be invaluable, you've got the guts and the know how to keep justice alive and that you're Eric to my Wes... whatever that means again. I barely know these guys."

"What?"

"I know you want to make a difference in the world with domestic abuse and stuff, and this could be our opportunity to combine our dreams! Silver Guardians are in charge of the city, and when we're the bosses of our branch, we can expand a little. You can work in some of the shelters to better our community. Wes thinks it'll help us earn respect. So, partners?"

"What?" Gia asked again and stared at Jordan blankly. "You want me to continue fighting crime?"

"It won't be aliens and monsters and stuff," Jordan said. "You know, a few thieves here, some traffic tickets there. Maybe a murder mystery or two..."

"Jordan..."

"Gia, I'm begging you," Jordan dropped to his knees beside her bed. "The Silver Guardians are amazing! Their training is amazing! The work they do is amazing! They want to expand, they want to put us on top, and they won't do it without you. Well, I don't get the job without you. That Eric guy really seemed to like you. Besides, I really need this job."

"This job?"

"Well, a job. I need something. I need it like... yesterday."

"You're really desperate," Gia chuckled. Jordan nodded his head. He took both of Gia's hands.

"We bicker, we tease, you even like punching my arm. But deep down, I know you do it because you care... and I annoy you. We would make the perfect partners. Amazing! This is my dream job, and you're going to do so much good. We can mold the Silver Guardians into whatever we want in Angel Grove, do fundraisers for your charities and the shelters, and make sure we keep the bad guys where they belong. You can protect innocents from people like Cliff and Vrak and Vekar."

"I... I guess... I guess that sounds right," Gia shrugged her shoulders. Jordan, still on his knees, looked up at her hopefully.

"Yes? You're saying yes?"

"One condition. No, two."

"Name it."

"We do all that charity stuff you mentioned. We actually focus on helping people, on making a difference."

"That's the reason I wanted to be a police officer," Jordan nodded. "Done. What else?"

"Nothing changes between us," Gia said. "We may be partners and all that crap, but you're still butthead, the spawn of all things stupid, and my favourite punching bag."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Jordan nodded. He jumped up, kissed Gia's cheek and then rushed out of the room to tell Eric and Wes the good news. Gia rubbed her cheek and groaned.

"Gross..."

"Well, there's your post secondary education and future career planned out," Vanessa chuckled. "I've got to admit, it's going to be interesting watching you work so closely with Jordan."

"Promise you can keep a secret?"

"Of course."

"I'm actually...," Gia sighed and lowered her head, "looking forward to it."

Vanessa chuckled and hugged her daughter just as the door opened again. Claire and Emma walked in together. Claire seemed a little pale. Emma looked nervous. Vanessa frowned.

"Is everything alright? Dr. Mitchell..."

"Everything's fine," Emma whispered. "But... um... something came up on my tests when Dr. Mitchell was checking me over. Something you both need to know."

Vanessa got off the bed and walked over to Emma, "Sweetheart, whatever it is, we're here for you. All of us."

Emma nodded her head. Her mother had already assured her of that.

"Well... um... Ryan's... Ryan's not going to be the only baby in the family. I'm... pregnant."

Vanessa's eyes widened. She turned to Claire who nodded her head slowly to confirm the news. Then she looked down at a teary eyed Emma and pulled her into her arms.

"Okay... okay, well, this isn't what we were hoping for but... we can make this work," she assured her. "Alright... well, do you know how far along? Well, obviously just a few weeks. Jordan's only been back a few weeks now and... it is Jordan's, right? Of course it's Jordan's."

"It's Jordan's," Emma nodded. "He's the one that told me. Dr. Mitchell told him when I was out, which is fine. I mean, he's got every right to know and he'll be an amazing dad. He says he's already got a career if he plays his cards right so..."

"Everything's going to work out," Claire promised Emma. "It's just... big news. We're all a little... frazzled right now."

"Does this push up the wedding, then?" Vanessa asked. "Emma, do whatever you want, but have you thought about getting married before the baby's born or..."

"I don't know," Emma shrugged. "I'm still... in shock, I guess. I just... I don't... I don't know what I'm doing or what I should be doing or, or, or..."

As Emma started to tear up, Gia got out of bed. She walked over to her best friend and pulled her in for a tight, warm hug. Emma wrapped her arms around her.

"We got this," Gia promised her. "Step by step, alright? You make the baby, we'll make sure everything's ready for him. Got it?"

Emma nodded her head. Gia chuckled and squeezed her lovingly.

"It's going to work out."

_The End_

_Author's Note: No worries, there is more to come. Look out for Megaforce: Afterlife._

_Just wanted to say thank you to all my readers out there, and a huge thank you to everyone who takes the time to leave reviews! You guys are amazing!_


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